A Thick Line Between Love and Hate
by KiwiStar
Summary: No one understands the saying, 'A thick line between love and hate' better than Shannon Moore and Isabella Smith. What happens when they're thrown into a romantic storyline? Will they fall for each other, or will a greater secret be revealed?R&R. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

A Thick Line Between Love and Hate

Chapter One: Nightmare Turned Reality

(Eve POV)

"Ha-ha! Number 24 Across, _WWE Canvas_ is a mat. Duh!" I chuckled. The chuckle quickly turned into a yelp of surprise as the door to the hotel room opened and another Diva came in, clearly frustrated as she tossed a packet onto her bed and slammed the door shut. "That your script?"

"Nope. It's a coloring book! Yes, Eve, it is indeed my script." Isabella frowned at me before plopping down on the soft mattress and snapping open the buckles that ran up the side of her boots. Kicking them aside, she laid down and sighed. "He hates me."

"Who?'

"Take a wild guess! I guess it's not enough he hates me, he might as well torture me too. I bet he requested this storyline to drive me up the wall."

"He's probably thinking the same thing about you right now." I stated, putting the newspaper away and sitting up to talk with her. The raven-haired woman did the same and began running her fingers through the black locks.

"Exactly. I can't do this!"

"If you can survive Thunder Thighs, you can survive him." I reminded her of her old interviewing days and being a valet for Orton.

"You're right! I can do anything I set my mind to. If that means surviving the one thing I hate more elevators, than it shall be that way." She grinned.

"See? You're already in a better mood. So I guess it's safe to assume that this conversation was concerning Shannon Moore?"

The grin turned to a frown again as she tossed a pillow at me. Chuckling, I blocked it and tossed it back. "I was kidding! Good God, Izzy."

"Sorry, Eve." Isabella smirked and headed into the bathroom. I tried to ignore the temptation leaking from the packet on the bed next to mine. Their inked pages screaming to be read, thousands of little words begging to be leafed through. Closing my eyes, I tried to ignore it, but to no avail. Knowing Isabella was showering, thus meaning it would be awhile till I saw her, I went against better judgment and picked up the packet. Leafing through the pages, I stopped and my mouth dropped in awe. Printed neatly across the top was _Shannon Moore Isabella Smith Kiss Scene._

"I told you it was bad." Isabella stated as she stood behind me, dressed in boy shorts and a tank top, hair in a ponytail and eyes narrowed at the page.

"You have to kiss him?"

"Yeah and if I don't do it, Vince told me not to bother coming to another house show as a WWE Diva and that TNA is looking for female competitors." Isabella grumbled.

"He's hot, though."

"For a One-Toothed Ogre." Isabella said sarcastically as she got into bed. "Goodnight, Eve."

"Night, Izzy." I flicked off the lamp that illuminated the room.

The obnoxious ringing of Isabella's phone awakened me and I sat up as she answered it.

"Yo, you've reached Isabella's phone. I'm currently unavailable for reasons I will not share in a voicemail. Leave your name and number and I may or may not get back to you ASAP. Thanks for calling." Hanging up, she returned the phone to the bed stand and chuckled.

"You're terrible. Who was it ?" I laughed with her.

"Grumbledore."

"You mean Shannon."

"Affirmative."

I rolled my eyes at my friend and got up. She was already dressed and ready to leave. A knock came at the door and she opened it. Shannon barged into the room, enraged. "What the hell is your problem, Izzyabells?"

"What are you talking about? I never even left my room to associate myself with a situation, person or persons, or any other dilemma that would ultimately cause me to have a problem."

"Stop being a smartass. I called you like five minutes ago and you gave me your voicemail."

"Well when you can't get a hold of someone, the phone tends to go to voicemail."

"No, you spoke into the phone while it was in discussion with mine and purposely read your voicemail from memory to annoy me."

"And did it work?"

"Very much so."

"Goody. I'm doing something right." Isabella smirked as she fixed her hair in the mirror.

"For once." Shannon retorted with a scoff. "Get a move on Izzyabells."

"Cut it out. You know I hate that nickname."

"That's why I haven't stopped." Shannon smirked back and left the room, Isabella trailing after him. Seconds later I got a text from her saying, 'Wish me Luck'.

Laughing, I replied, 'Sure, just give me a sec to kill Aladdin and steal his genie.'

(Isabella's POV)

Walking down the hallway, I frowned. "What's the rush?"

"Vince wants us in his office pronto." He replied curtly.

"Oh." I sighed as he stopped at the elevator. "Um, I'll meet you in the lobby."

"I never understood why you hate elevators." Shannon said.

"Personal reasons." I replied as I headed for the stairs.

"Whatever." The blond shook his head as the doors opened and he stepped in.

Of course, he was waiting for me at the bottom of the steps. "Took ya long enough."

"Well, you're the one who moved my hotel room to the top floor!"

"You're the one who's too chicken to go into an elevator!"

"Shut up, you two and get in there." Vince rolled his eyes as we stepped into the room and took our seats. "As you know, you two are in a storyline together, a romantic storyline. It's the first for a long time. So, we really have to make it good, and believable. Normally, I wouldn't do this, but since you two hate each other, I have no choice but to make sure you know that you have to act professional about this."

"We know." Shannon responded.

"Good. So, next week Izzy is saved by Shannon when Isabella is ganged up by Umaga. Then, Shannon is attacked, so Izzy visits him in the trainer's office. So on and so forth. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." I nodded. "We'll act totally professional. No worries, promise."

"Good, just making sure. Now, you may leave, but I'm serious, if either one of you think about dropping out of this storyline, TNA will welcome you." Vince frowned as he shooed us out of the room.

"Goodie, my worst nightmare has now become my reality." I sighed.

"So, you _do_ think about me when the night is lonely and cold and you need a man to hold?'

"Whatever."

"Bye, Satan." He said as he left.

Without looking back, I kept on walking and, making sure he saw me, I flipped him off.

Oh yeah, totally professional.

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**So that's the first chapter! I had this story finished, but couldn't download it to my new computer, so I'm retyping it. That part sucks, but I'll update soon.**


	2. Reeking of Suckitude

**Yay!! Second chapter! Hope you enjoyed the first one, now enjoy the second.**

A Thick Line Between Love and Hate

Chapter Two: Reeking of Suckitude

(Jeff POV)

I sighed as RAW went on, grumbling about the matches as the went by. Especially Matt's. He threw me into the Hardy feud by telling Vince I knew about it, when in actuality, I was shocked when he attacked me with a steel chair. Beth stood behind me, massaging my shoulders. "Honey, relax."

"Yeah, Jeffro, cool the jets, man." Shane laughed as he returned with popcorn.

"I'll shove those jets straight up your ass!"

"Oooh, Beth, it looks like Jeff palys for both teams, if ya catch my drift."

"Shane, shut it and sit down." Beth sat beside me and smacked Shane in the shoulder. The doorbell rang and I got up to answer it.

Pulling open the door, I saw a blond woman standing there, a smile plastered on her face. "Hi, I'm Harmony Ikeson. Um, I'm new in town and wanted to meet the neighbors."

"Yeah, and you're the new chick on Smackdown. Um, come in." I let the woman in and as she thanked me, she moved into the living room.

"Do you mind if I look around?"

"Go ahead." Beth smiled. "I'm Beth."

"I'm Shane, single, handsome, and you know you want me."

"Sorry to disappoint, I don't date guys with bigger egos than Orton." She smirked as his face fell. Looking at the pictures on the a shelf. When she looked at one of Isabella and Shannon, she immediately picked it up. "Are these two dating? They seem so happy."

The picture was one Matt took a few years ago on the Fourth of July. Shannon had an arm around Isabella's waist, with her pulled to his side. They were both smiling and having a good time. "Oh, trust us, hell no. They hate each other. When that picture was taken, they were having an off day."

"Oh, well, that will make things so much more interesting." The blond chuckled.

Confused, I stood with my arms crossed over my chest. "Why do you say so?"

"They didn't tell you? They're in a storyline together, a romance storyline. I heard it through the grapevine, and you didn't hear this from me because Izzy's my fave Diva, and I don't want to her to hate me, but they have a kiss scene in a few weeks." Harmony stood for a moment, looking at us with knowing blue eyes.

"What!?" Shane yelled, spewing his Sprite over the carpet. "No way!"

"Uh, yes way." Harmony set the picture down and stood her ground.

"Um, Ms. Ikeson-"

"Harmony, call me Harmony, or Harm." Harmony stated. "And I know you may have trouble believing me, but just watch or ask them." Harmony nodded to Isabella and Shannon, who had just entered the room.

"Sorry, Jeff. Ogre over there locked me out of my house, so I locked him outta his."

"Wonderful. I can't deal with your bickering right now. Is it true!?"

"Is what true? Who's this? What the hell is going on?" Shannon asked.

"Well, you and Izzy are in a romantic storyline, that's Harmony, new chick on the street, and honestly, I have no fricken idea what the hell is going on." Shane answered.

"We were going to say something." Isabella sighed.

"When? When the entire WWE fell to pieces?" I asked.

"I believe the right demise would be when the WWE melted into masses of charred bodies, burning flesh with internal organs crackling over open fires engulfing the world as we now know it." Isabella gave a small smile. "Sorry, we really are Jeff."

"Okay. I just wanted to know if I should duck before coming to meetings."

"We'll act professional." Shannon added. He put an arm around Isabella and pulled her to his side. "Cuz, I just can't resist Izzyabells."

"One-Toothed Ogres are my best friends." Isabella remarked sarcastically.

"Oh my God, um, excuse me, Isabella? My name's Harmony, but you can call me Harm." Harmony greeted, sticking her hand out.

Isabella shook it and smiled. "I'm Isabella, but call me Izzy."

"Although, she gets pissed at 'Bella', 'Bellzy', or 'Izzyabells'. Only I call her Izzyabells." Shannon smirked. "I'm Shannon."

"Sweet." Harmony giggled. "Well, I should get going. Bye." She bounced out of the room.

"Great, a hyper neighbor, just what we all need." I mumbled.

"Oh well." Shannon replied, setting his bag down. He put a hand out towards Isabella, palm up and cleared his throat. "My keys."

"Give me mine and I'll give you yours." Isabella reasoned.

"Give me mine first." Shannon stated.

"Fine." She took the keys out and pressed them into his hand. In return, he handed hers back..

"Giving up so easily?"

"No, I just really need to get to bed." Isabella yawned as she gave me a quick hug, before hugging both Beth and Shane. "I'll catch y'all later." She smiled as she left the house and we were silent until we heard her truck drive off.

"Um, Shan, wasn't she your ride?" Shane asked as he headed out the door, a chuckle following.

Instantly, Shannon jumped up. "That witch!"

"Relax, man, stay here tonight." I offered.

"'Kay. My regular room, right?"

"No, Shannon, the linen closet." Beth retorted. He playfully flipped her off, a gesture she returned. "Yes, your regular room." She stuck her tongue out at him as he carried his luggage upstairs. As soon as she was sure he couldn't hear, Beth sighed. "You know what this means, right Jeff?"

"It means I should've moved to Canada when I had the chance."

Cocking an eyebrow at me, she asked. "What does Canada have to offer you?"

"Well, I'll live in a permanent snow globe, Adam's mom, Adam's mom's cooking, winter sports, etcetera." I replied.

"What? What's so special about Adam's mom and her cooking."

"Snow globes trap an object in a perfect world. Besides, have you ever met Adam's mom, her cooking rocks. Have you ever noticed how I've never driven a snowmobile?"

"Maybe because you've never been in an environment that required one." Beth stated, leading the way upstairs, to our bedroom.

"Because it never really snows here, and by the time I have time to buy one, it's spring and the prices skyrocket."

"Really?"

"Yes, Isabella tells me it's great."

"When did Isabella ever snowmobile?"

"Apparently she visits family in Wisconsin, which ironically, is where Harmony is natively from."

"Whatever." Beth has already changed into pajamas and has slipped under the covers. Joining her, I sigh.

"Seriously though, I'll have to lock myself into a tiny box made of sound-resistant, shatterproof glass."

"Mmhmm."

"Beth.?"

"…"

"Beth." I turn over to see her dozed off. Flopping back, I groaned. "This reeks of suckitude for reasons I cannot recall."

**There it is, hope ya enjoyed. Read and review!!**


	3. A Date With Destiny, and Date's Enemy

**Yay, third chappie!! I own nothing besides Isabella and now Harmony. Here's the next one, enjoy!!**

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A Thick Line Between Love and Hate

Chapter Three: A Date With Destiny, and Date's Enemy, and Enemy's Girlfriend.

(Isabella POV)

I walked down the hall of the arena, black boots clacking against the cement flooring. All arenas were like this, cement and brick, on good days, we got arenas with carpeting all around. The sound of clicking shoes had embedded itself into my brain, so, for kicks and giggles, I recorded the sound of a bunch of Divas walking down the cement hallway and set it as Mickie's ringtone.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I ran into somebody and ended up on the floor. The massive body stood before me, having not budged from their position. Growling, I glared at the person. "Watch where you're goin'!"

"Sorry." The man apologized and lent me a hand, helping me up. He smiled and shook my hand. "I'm John."

"Cena, I know who you are."

"Really?"

"Mmm-hmm, I work here too, ya know?"

"Well, somebody's being rude." He remarked. "I'm bickering with someone, who's name I don't know, and she knows who I am, she refuses to tell me her name, therefore preventing me from taking her to dinner to make up for her untimely fall." John said, trailing off. "Oh, well. Another beautiful woman slipped through my fingers."

"Wait." I sighed as he started to walk away. "Cena, I'll go to dinner with you."

John grinned. "I'll pick you up at seven!"

"Oh and before you go, my name's Isabella. Call me Izzy, though!" I called after him.

"Will do!" He replied.

(Shannon POV)

I sat in the RAW locker room, relaxing after my victory earlier against Santino. John was on the bench opposite of mine, looking like he was five times happier than two hours ago. "What's up with you?"

"I have a date."

"What Diva and how hot, on the 1-10 meter?" I asked.

"Izzy and a serious 9."

"Izzy? Dude, you're sick." I replied as Matt rolled his eyes.

"Good for you, man. She needs a distraction, from a certain someone." His eyes diverted to me.

"Izzy seems nice." John stated.

"Izzy? She's letting you call her Izzy? What are you, her boyfriend or something?" I mutter, finally realizing that he's serious. I can see it now, Isabella Smith spending very waking moment with him. She'll move in with him and I'll never have to see her, except for shows. It seems like a perfect plan. On the other hand, who will I torture? "So, where are you guys going?"

"Dinner." John answered as he left.

An hour later...

"So, we're ruining their dinner date?" Kelly asked me.

"Yep." I replied.

"Babe, I can't wait to see her face."

"They got a seat, let's go." I opened the restaurant door for my girlfriend, Kelly Kelly, and followed her as she found their table.

"Oh my God, I can't believe the coincidence, all four of us choosing the same restaurant." Kelly giggled as she sat by John. "Do you mind?"

"Go ahead." John replied. "Sorry, Izzy, it would've been rude to push them away."

"Yeah, Izzy." I laughed as I sat next to her. "So, what's on the menu?"

"Asshole on a stick." She glared at me.

"Aw, Izzyabellzy, don't be that way."

"Did you just call me Izzyabellzy?" She cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, John, I'm not usually this rude, only to Shannon."

The waitress set two glasses on the table and was shocked to see two more people. "Can I get you two anything?"

"Um, a Sprite and a water, thanks." Kelly answered warmly.

As Isabella was grabbing her cup, I 'accidentally' nudged it with my elbow, and it spilled all over her lap. Growling, she glared at me again, as I gave her an innocent look. "Sorry, Bellzy."

Kelly stood up and scowled. "Watch where you're going, Shannon. I'll help you with that Izzy." As she and Izzy left to for the bathroom, John sighed.

"Shannon, do you mind if I date Isabella?"

"Nope, do whatever the hell you want." I replied.

"You two seem close."

"I hate her, she hates me. Oh, and before you guilt trip me about giving her a chance, I did, when I met her."

"Jeff told me you would say that. He says you just started hating her."

"Whatever. I just don't like her."

"Why?"

"If you really want to know, she's fat, ugly, annoying-"

"Shannon, the girl can bench 240, it's muscle. If she were ugly, she wouldn't have even made it into this company, and ugliness is completely opinionated. She's only annoying if you pick at the things she says to find something annoying about it."

"Have you two been going out?" I asked, ignoring his last comment.

"Yes, for a couple weeks." John admitted just as the girls came back. Isabella sat next to John and kissed his cheek. "He knows, babe."

"Babe? You told me for a couple weeks and you're all of a sudden calling her 'babe'?"

"Relax, Shan, what do you care?" John asked, putting an arm around Izzy's shoulders.

He was right, why do I care. I don't. Exactly, I don't. "C'mon, Kells, we should go." I said as I got up and laced my fingers with hers as we walked off.

* * *

**Sorry, it's kinda short, but the next one will be longer, and more dramatic. Read & Review. Oh and if there was any confusion, John and Isabella were joking before when they 'didn't know who the other was'.**


	4. Drunk Men Tell No Lies

**This chapter starts their storyline, finally. I don't own anything besides the plot, Isabella, and Harmony.**

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Chapter 4: Drunk Men Tell No Lies

(Isabella POV)

I stood in a pair of black cargo pants, a tight black tank top with 'Punk Duchess' written on the back in neon green script and neon pink, purple, blue and green, paint splotches all over. Sighing, I adjusted my belt, which had a sparkly Biohazard symbol as the buckle, and looked at my arms. One had a neon purple and blue striped fingerless arm sleeve underneath a fishnet arm sleeve. The other had a black fingerless glove. My black hair was half up, the rest slightly curled and simple makeup was applied, smoky eyes and no lipgloss.

"From Whispering Pines, North Carolina, Isabella!" Lillian shouted.

Riot, by Three Day's Grace blared through the speakers and I ran through the curtain_, _throwing my hands up in the 'rock on' sign. I slapped a few hands on my way to the ring, entering between the top and second rope.

Shannon's music blasted and, like I was, he went down to the ring, slapping hands and being a face. Both of us got cheers. "And joining her, from Whispering Pines, North Carolina…Shannon Moore!"

Shannon got a mike and smirked. "I'm glad to be making my long awaited return to the WWE. I've waited for a while, wrestling independently just wasn't cutting it. Also, when Vince offered a valet/ tag team partner of my choosing, I couldn't help but pick the lovely Isabella." The words sounded weird coming from him, but I ignored it and smiled sweetly. "Well, now that I'm back, I'm coming after a title. Not just any title, but Randy Orton's WWE Championship title."

At that moment, Randy came out as his music played. Cody and Ted beside him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold your horses. You just came back, try earning it, not just calling dibs. If you think you're good enough, think again. You are inferior to me. Everyone is inferior to me, because I'm the WWE Champ, and you're not!"

"I think you need to think again, Randy." I stated, shocking everyone.

"You, shut up! Who the hell do you think you are?" He asked, cutting me off. "You're nothing compared to me! Listen up, sweet cheeks, you-"

"A couple things first, Randy. One, don't interrupt me. Two, don't call me sweet cheeks. And three, I think I'm Isabella Smith, because I know I'm Isabella Smith. Now that we have that taken care of, I'd like to say something. You and your Legacy, friends here, bring a whole new meaning to narcissistic. You are all so conceited, that you think you can beat anyone. Hell, I could beat anyone of you, anytime, anywhere."

"Oh, you're sure about that?"

"Dead sure." I replied.

"Well, then you have a match with…Cody Rhodes. Right now." Randy decided as Cody stepped forth, peeling his shirt off before stepping into the ring.

Shannon gripped my shoulders. "Isabella, don't do this." He whispered, making it seem like he was encouraging me. "Don't mess up, or you're screwed." He added before going into my corner.

The bell tolled and Cody and I got into a headlock. Cody Irish whipped me into a corner and came running at me with his elbow up, sinking to the floor, just in time, I elbowed him in the face. He backed up, slightly dazed and I used this opportunity to perform a sidewalk slam. Randy looked annoyed that I had just lifted one of his partners without breaking a sweat. I went for the pin.

"1...2-" Cody lifted his shoulders and lifted me up before slamming me into the mat. He tried for a pinfall.

"1!" I kicked out and he paraded kicks and punches on me before Irish-whipping me again. On the comeback, I clotheslined him. Going onto the top rope, I did a shooting star leg drop and went for the pin. He kicked out before the ref reached one, and pulled me into a Russian Leg Sweep before going on the top rope. Standing up, I climbed up there with him, fighting for the upper hand. Knowing, Randy was watching, Cody wanted to make sure he wasn't beaten by a girl. Too bad for him, I chuckled to myself as I pulled him into an elevated neck breaker and jumped from the top turnbuckle into a seated position.

"1...2...3!" The ref slapped the mat in time with the crowd.

"Here's your winner, Isabella Smith!" My music played again, and I smirked at Randy and Ted, who were helping Cody. Leaving the ring with Shannon, I went backstage.

"Oh my God!" Harmony grinned. "That was wicked!"

"Thanks."

"Scripted." Shannon muttered.

"Shan, be happy, she kicked his ass in under ten minutes. Plus lifting him up." Beth said as she gave me a high five. "Good job, shortie. You and I would make a great team, think about it. We could be called Bellazon." She joked.

"I'd stab my eyes out with a rusty fork before going by Bella. It makes me feel awkward because of the whole Twilight thing. People would say I was copying and all that crap." I stated as John approached and gave me a quick kiss, Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shannon roll his eyes, but smile when he saw Kelly.

Matt jumped in front of me. "C'mon, we're going out after the show."

"So I can be the designated driver?"

"No." Matt said sheepishly. "Okay! It wasn't my first thought, though."

"Yeah, Iz, come to the club with us." Kelly pleaded.

"First, no. No Iz. It's either Isabella or Izzy. No Iz, no Bella, no Bellzy, no Izzyabellz, and no Izzyabellzy." I said, glaring at Shannon. "Secondly, fine."

* * *

I sighed as I stood by John. "Babe, you sure you don't want one, it tastes good."

"No, I'm sure. I don't drink." I looked around at my drunken friends. I started to move towards a table full of friends, when I ran into somebody. My butt never met the floor, the person caught me in his arms.

"Whoa, there, gorgeous. Watch out." He giggled. Looking up to stare into jade green eyes, I gasped.

"Shannon!" He let me go. "Are you drunk?"

"Well, it depends. Does 3 vodkas and a tequila make you drunk?"

"Yeah, you're drop dead drunk." I sighed again and ran a hand through my hair.

"You're drop dead gorgeous." He replied. I could hear the surrounding Superstars laughing.

"Shut up! Listen, Shannon, have Kelly drive you to the hotel."

`"I can't, she drunk too!" Shannon laughed as he tried walking, but almost fell flat on his face.

"You're going back to the hotel."

"Izzy, will you drive me? Please?" Shannon pouted, giving me puppy dog eyes. Under the heated stares of 90% of my co-workers, I knew refusing would instantly get me dubbed as 'bitch'.

"Fine, do you have everything with you?"

"Mmm-hmm." He murmured as he tripped on air and almost went down. Jeff caught him. Jeff was only half drunk, but no matter how drunk they are, even if it is just a little buzzed, I get all the car keys. Everybody knows I don't drink and take advantage of that. Maybe I should start a designated driver's business. They'll be my clients and have to pay me for my services. Ew, that makes me sound like a hooker.

I threw one of his arms over my shoulder and put one of mine around his waist. Casting a glance at John, I mouthed 'sorry' before leaving the club.

Outside, the quiet night air blew cool breezes that dusted my shoulder. Opening my car's passenger seat door, I slid Shannon into it. Grabbing the seat belt, I stretched it over his chest and had to lean over him to see the buckle. Arms slid around my waist and pulled me into his lap. Yelping, my eyes widened. "Shannon!"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"Hugging you." His words slurred.

Ignoring him, I clipped the buckle and went over to my side. I started the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. Traveling the whole ride in silence made me wonder what he was thinking. A couple minutes later, we were at the hotel and through the lobby. Moving towards the elevator, Shannon stopped right in front of it.

"You don't like ele-a-vators."

"I don't care right now, Shannon. I'm not lugging your body up 16 flights of stairs."

"You could though."

"Yeah, but your body becomes a dead weight when you're drunk." I stated as the doors opened and I dragged him in. As soon as the doors closed and before I had a chance to press our button, he had pressed all the buttons, twice. Groaning, I closed my eyes.

"Oopsy. Are you okay?"

"No." I answered.

"Are you mad at me?"

"A little."

He whimpered. "D-Do you hate me?"

"No. You just get on my nerves a lot." I sighed. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me close to him. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"I knew you didn't hate me! And I don't hate you, either!"

I smacked his chest to get him to let go of me. "You do hate me Shannon. You torture me everyday. I don't torture you as much as you torture me. It's just the vodka talking."

"No." He whined. "I don't hate you! I likes you a lot, Izzyabellz!"

"I thought I told you never to call me that again!"

"Sorry." He looked sad and like he was going to cry. "You're a lot mad at me, aren't you? You're just saying that you're not to make me feel better. I love you!"

"What?"

"I love you! I never mean anything cruel I say to you! You're smart, and pretty, and idependent, down to earth, sexy, and sometimes intimidating."

"Again, you're drunk, it's influencing your speech." I said as he was about to reach for another button. Smacking his hand, I growled. "I swear to God, Shannon, hit another button and I'll push you down the sixteen flights of stairs."

He backed away. "Okay, but stop hitting me."

The elevator stopped at our floor and I grabbed his wrist and led him to our room. With my free hand, I reached into my pocket and dug out my key. Unlocking the door, I flicked on the light and drug him to the bed. "Sit here and wait until I get out of the bathroom, okay?" I sat down next to him and looked through my bag.

"Wear…that one!" He pointed to a pair of shorts and a camisole. "It would look good on you."

Grabbing the said items, I was walking off when he grabbed my wrist and made me turn around. "I hope you know that I think you're beautiful."

Again, I ignored him.

"Stop ignoring me! I know what I'm talkin' about. Cena doesn't deserve you." He whined.

"Go to bed, Shannon." I said as I went into the bathroom and shut the door. Changing into my pajamas, I pulled my hair into a ponytail and washed my face. I heard rustling outside and ignored it. Everything was confusing right now. Shannon was drunk, or else he better hope so. Catching my breath, I left the bathroom and was about to head to bed when I saw Shannon standing right outside the door. Jumping in surprise, I growled. "I thought I told you-"

I was cut off as he held my face in his hands and kissed me. Gasping, I pushed him away and gingerly touched my lips, where only a few seconds ago, his lips had been. "Drunk men tell no lies, Isabella." He whispered.

"Go to bed, Shannon." I whispered back as I went to my bed and fell asleep, facing away from him. My mind couldn't get over those five words. _Drunk men tell no lies._

In the morning, I awoke to realize that there was somebody else in my bed, who had their arms around my waist and had me pulled against their chest. The tattooed limbs could only belong to one person. "Shannon!"

Surprised, he let go and rolled out of bed, landing on the floor with a harsh thud. "What the hell?"

"What are you doing in my bed?"

"You looked kind of lonely, and you were shivering, even with the blanket on." He mumbled.

"How much of last night do you remember?"

"Um, I remember you yelling at me, then me kissing you, then going into your bed. By the way, don't tell Kelly."

"Don't tell John." I reasoned.

"Deal." He rubbed his temples. "Have any ibuprofen?"

"Yeah." I got the bottle for him and a bottle of water. "I'm going to take a shower." I stated as I got clean clothes and a towel.

After my refreshing shower, I dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a black tank top with electric green and blue lightning bolts. Shannon was dressed, had his hair in a bandana and a hat over it. "C'mon." He said as he opened the door and I quickly slipped a pair of sneakers on as I ran to catch up with him. A brush in hand, I ran it through my black locks and dropped it into my purse.

Looking at Shannon out of the corner of my eye every now and then, I frowned. "Shannon, the scene is just around the corner. In two weeks, to be exact."

"I know, I'm planning on buying as much toothpaste and mouthwash as possible."

"So, now that we're normal again, let's get on with our petty lives." I said.

"Correction, you get on with your petty life. I've got a goddess to spend my day with." He smirked and walked away.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes.

_Drunk men tell no lies._

_Drunk men tell no lies._

_Drunk men tell no lies._

Dammit!

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**Hi! Yay, another chappie is finished. Hope u liked it! Read & Review!!**


	5. Pretty in Pink

**Hey, new chapter for 'Thick Line'. Enjoy! I own nothing except for Isabella and Harmony and the plot. Read and Review.**

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Chapter Five: Pretty in Pink

(Harmony POV)

We all sat in Isabella's living room, watching T.V. So far, it was a war between motocross and The Notebook. I heard a small sniffle coming from behind me, turning around, I saw Shane dabbing his eyes with a tissue.

"Their love is so pure." He said, his voice shaking.

I rolled my eyes. Guess who won. Yup, The-freakin-Notebook won. It is a good movie and all, but it was sort of uncomfortable to be in a room of five full-grown men, all but one of which were crying or about to cry. Shannon stared blankly out the window, Jeff was blinking every two seconds, trying not to cry, Shane was crying, blowing his nose obnoxiously, Matt was sniffling, wiping at his eyes as a result of what he claimed to be 'allergies', yeah right. John Cena was almost on the brink of trying not to cry. Isabella sat on his lap and ran a hand through his short hair.

"Aw, baby, are you going to cry?"

"No." John scoffed at the idea. "Are you goin to cry?"

"No, I've watched it too many times to be affected." Isabella giggled a little.

Shannon got up and went upstairs. "I have to use the bathroom."

"Why not use the one down here?"

"Izzyabellzy just used it."

"Shannon, that's rude. She's letting us be in her home, so we should respect it and her." I stated as he rolled his eyes and continued up the stairs.

"Nice try, Harm." Isabella stated.

"I try." I chuckled. "God, it's hotter than hell, and it's almost nighttime."

"That's because there's a room full of hot Superstars and Divas/Beth/Knockout." Kelly explained. How she even got into Isabella's house was beyond me. Isabella and her don't get along, never have, or so I hear from Beth. Melina, Matt's girlfriend, sighed.

"Well, now that Sobfest is over, let's watch White Noise."

"Um, Mel, baby, it's starting to storm. No way in hell am I watching a poltergeist flick." Matt reasoned.

"Okay then, the Leprechaun movies?"

"Those gave me nightmares." Shane frowned. "That's why I lock myself in my room every St. Patrick's Day."

His girlfriend, Jamie, scoffed. "Baby, I laughed at those movies." The Knockout was close friends with Shane's friends, but was weary of Kelly and John. She was okay with me, as Shane said she would be. 'She'll just love you'. So far, it was going pretty well, we got along, so no worries.

"Yeah, this is the problem. We guys, can't take you women to scary movies." Jeff sighed.

"Why's that?" Beth asked.

"You laugh when people die painful deaths." Jeff replied. "You're a bunch of psychos."

"Pardon me if I was on a sugar high and found Saw mildly amusing." Jamie huffed as Shannon came back down the stairs. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, the shower rail came out so I fixed it." He replied.

"You helped Izzy?"

"Is that a problem?" Shannon asked.

"No, it's just odd." She stated.

Isabella stood and began to go upstairs. "I have to take a shower, I'll be back in a bit. Don't wait up for me." She was going on a date with John tonight, but by the looks of the storm, it probably would be cancelled. So, we started the movie, Taken, and relaxed. Approximately twenty minutes later, Isabella came downstairs, dressed in pajamas and her hair wrapped in a towel that was balanced on her head.

She returned to her spot on John's lap and removed the towel. Isabella grabbed a brush and ran it through her hair. All of us turned to stare, some jaws were dropped, eyes were widened and all were speechless. "What?" She asked.

"Uh, go and see for yourself." I smiled weakly and turned away.. Oh boy, this was going to get ugly. Glancing at Shannon, I saw that he was trying not to laugh as Isabella got p and went to the nearest bathroom.

A loud scream made nearly all of us jump as she ran back into the room. The front door opened and Gil came in. "Why hello, I was just coming to see if your power went out, mine did, so…" His voice trailed off as he saw Isabella. "Izzy, dear, what happened to you?"

"Ask. Shannon." She growled through gritted teeth. Isabella narrowed her eyes at Shannon and pointed at her once-black locks. "Really? This is your idea of a joke? We have a promo Shannon, in three days!"

"Well, then, it sucks that it takes a couple weeks to fade." He burst into laughter.

"Ass. That makes for about six house show, two signings, one Make-A-Wish meeting, one PPV, one photo shoot, and one funeral."

"Who's funeral?" Shannon asked.

"Yours!" She leered at Shannon.

"What? I can't help it, it was too irresistible. Did anyone ever tell you that pink is definitely your color?" Shannon laughed.

Isabella rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her hair. Her hair, the topic of this predicament, was now bright pink. "Burn in hell."

"See you there!" He called back at her as she went back upstairs.

"I'll see if she's okay." John offered as he gave Shannon a glare before going upstairs.

(John POV)

I found Isabella sitting on her bed, in her surprisingly not so gloomy room. The floor was a shiny hardwood type, the walls and ceiling dark red, the long curtains were a shiny gold with bedding to match the red and gold theme. Sitting next to her, I smiled. This bed was like sleeping on an obese marshmallow, so soft and big. Putting an arm around her, I reassuringly kissed her cheek. "He's just trying to get to you. Ignore him."

"I've been ignoring him for ten years. I was going to college to become a lawyer and I moved to Whispering Pines, where I met Shannon. He never really liked me, it seemed it got worse when I decided to get into the WWE. I already had training, I trained whenever I could, but landed a job as an interviewer. Well, I got on Smackdown, same as Shannon. Then I was a valet for Orton for a while before branching off and becoming a real wrestler. Fast forward a few years, and here I am, tag team partner/romacne interest for Shannon Moore, the one thing I hate more than elevators." She informed as she brushed her hair away from my face.

"So you have a license to practice the law?"

"Yep."

"It'll be okay, Izzy. " I reassured her again. "It'll fade, besides, they'll fit it into the storyline that Randy and his goons dyed your hair, for added effect."

"Thanks, John." She smiled and kissed me.

"No problem." It was perfect. She was trusting me more and more by the second. Boy am I lucky Kelly convinced Shannon to dye her hair pink, I'm lucky they never got off to a good start, her and Shannon. Now, I had to wait for the right moment, the right time to carry out my plans. It's a good thing Shannon will do anything to torture Isabella. Otherwise, my plan would've been much harder.

You see here, I don't really like Isabella. Kelly doesn't really like Shannon. Kelly and I are the ones who are actually together, we just posed a breakup. She's playing Shannon and I'm playing Isabella. Why? Because we can. They both think that it's legit, but it's as fake as their storyline. The only thing we get out of it is the pleasure of watching two people get hurt by people they thought loved them, it'll be hilarious and prove our point. Kelly and I, are hard to get over.

We're so brilliant and trustworthy. It's a blessing and a curse. Shannon and Isabella will be left with broken hearts and will never find happiness without us. Kelly began with Shannon on the night she teamed with Shannon and Jimmy. She build his trust for a year before he asked her out in January. I got a late start because Isabella was always busy, and Maria wouldn't get out of the way for me to talk to her.

When Maria drafted, Mel made sure I didn't talk to her. She knew with experience at what happened with Ashley. Then Melina drafted, my chance was opened and I took it. Now, she can't say anything, she knows Izzy won't listen.

Kelly's set to break up with Shannon at any given time, whenever she wants to, she knows the time is nearing. It doesn't really matter. I have Isabella where I want her, she's starting to really trust me. Isabella stood and hugged me. She wasn't crying, which was shocking. I'd imagined her to be the crying kind when something like this happened.

She went back downstairs and sat as far away from Shannon as physically possible, I sat next to her. Looking at the silent room, I knew they had given Shannon a lecture.

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(Shannon POV)

It had been two weeks since I dyed Isabella's hair, it had completely faded since then. Today was the dreaded day, the kiss scene. Blech. I was waiting in the hallway, waiting patiently as the camera focused on me. Isabella had beat her opponent, Rosa Mendes after a brutal moonsault and was making her way backstage. She found me and hugged me, her arms tight around my neck as I wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Hey, Isabella. Nice match."

"Thanks." She smiled.

"It was a Number One Contender's Match, right?"

"Why, yes, yes it was." She grinned.

"You were beautiful out there." I stated, watching her blush. She chuckled a little. "I like your laugh and I bet you'll win that Diva's Championship."

"Thank you, partner." She looked at my face, slightly confused at the lost look I gave her. Staring into her green orbs, I tried to look away, but couldn't. The opportunity too perfect. "Are you o-"

I cut her off by pressing my lips to hers. They were soft, and tasted mildly of strawberry-kiwi, her favorite lipgloss, and now, mine too. She gasped and as she did so, my tongue slipped into her mouth. Isabella kissed me back with equal passion and intensity. "Cut! Great job guys! If we didn't know that you'd rather shove daggers down each other's throats, we'd think you two were dating," They congratulated us as we pulled away and they moved on to the next thing they had to do, whatever it was. I had forgotten reality for a moment.

The crowd was still cheering, even when the camera went off. We were in a remote hallway, were nobody ever really passed. Isabella tried to walk away, but I held my grip on her waist. "Shannon, let me go, please." I didn't hear her, my eyes still glued to her face. "Shan-" I cut her off again, kissing her again, this time, not for the cameras. Again, she was shocked, but to my surprise, she didn't fight me off. Instead, she returned the kiss as she had before.

Isabella put her arms around my neck again and I deepened the kiss. Kissing Isabella when I was sober was different than kissing her when I was drunk. When I was drunk, I had no interpretation of if I really wanted to kiss her or not. Now that I was sober and kissing her, it felt as if I was breaking all the rules, yet it was worth it. I wanted to kiss her, an overwhelming urge deep inside me forced me to, but I don't like her like that.

Suddenly, when I pulled back, Isabella slapped me square on the cheek. "What was that, Shannon?"

"Hey, you kissed me too!" I whispered, in case anyone was listening in, although I doubted it. "What was your end of it about?"

"I thought you saw the cameras again, or a fan with a camera, or something. I was playing along."

I snickered. "Yeah right. You knew there wasn't anything there. Maybe I'll tell John."

"Why would he believe you?"

"Ugh, okay, you got me there. Whatever, I need to get going." I walked off in a different direction than she was and as soon as I turned the corner, I leaned back against the wall and ran a hand through my shoulder length hair. Why did I kiss her, I don't even like her like that. Besides, I have Kelly. Although, her kisses were nothing like Isabe-Dammit, Shannon, get a hold of yourself. There is no way you like your enemy's kisses more than your girlfriends.

Isabella could beat Kelly in under five minutes, if she felt like it.

Dammit, stop comparing them in Isabella's favor. Isabella was short, very short. Not even five-five. I believe it's like, five-three. She's six inches shorter than I am, while Kelly is five-five. Ha-ha.

Isabella weighs about 145, it's mostly muscle and boob. She does have large breasts, not too big, but-Again, stop it with Isabella! Kelly had a small chest, but was 108 lbs. Tiny and thin like a stick.

Shannon, I cursed myself. Stop it, you're favoring Isabella again. Ugh, why must I always act without thinking? It always screws me over. Why did I kiss Isabella, I don't like her, don't I?

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**So there it is, yay for another chapter, I crank these things out like meat out of a meat grinder. Okay, that last part was odd. Anyway, read and review and I hope u enjoyed! Oh and the laughing when people died in movies was something from personal experience. My friends and I went to go see Prince Caspian and we agreed to laugh whenever people were killed or died. Well, somebody died in the film and I laughed, they didn't, so I was the only one who got the werid look from the guy in a row ahead of us, who just happened to be in my class, so it was weird. Again, thanks for reading.**


	6. BreakUp

Chapter Six: Break-up

(Isabella POV)

I lay there in a pool chair, a book in my hands. We were having a pool party and the guys were fooling around by the pool, knocking each other in and trying to get Harmony, Beth, and I, in. So far, they had succeeded in Harmony and Beth, but I knew I was next. Sooner or later. John and Kelly were there, too. John and Shannon got out of the pool at the same time, and I couldn't help but look them both over. John's muscular body shone in the light reflecting off the water. No tattoos adorned his features, nor were there a single piercing on his body. He looked hot, the way he always does.

Shannon was a completely different story. His well-built, but not too muscular arms were laced with tats, as was his stomach and knuckles. All of his upper body glistened in the sunlight and he ran a hand through his hair, which was about mid-neck length and still streaked with black. He didn't have a six pack, but was still hot. Six packs aren't everything. He's strong and try as I may to not say so, he's somewhat charming. Nice facial features, soft and strong eyes and-

"What are you staring at, Izzyabellzy?" Shannon stood above me, knowing full well that I was staring at him. John had gone into the house, as did Kelly.

"Nothing." I replied as he took the seat next to mine. Sighing, I closed my eyes, but all I saw was Shannon kissing me. Snapping my eyes open, I looked at him. His eyes were glued to me. "Now, what are you staring at?"

"Nothing." He blushed and quickly got up as John and Kelly came back out. He threw an arm around Kelly and kissed the top of her head. John took a seat next to me and put his hand over mine.

"Izzy, what's up?"

"Noth-" He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. "Ing!" I yelped in a high pitch voice. "What are you doing?"

I got my answer when he flipped me into the pool. I sank to the bottom before pushing my way to the top. "Meanie."

"It's because I care about you." John replied and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shannon mock him and roll his eyes. John slipped into the pool and wrapped his arms around my waist. "So, Sugar Plum, what are we doing tonight?"

"Nothing, we have a show, tomorrow, we have no time to do anything tonight, I have to pack." I replied, turning to face him before kissing him. I saw Shannon narrow his eyes before kissing Kelly. It looked so…wrong. It seemed as if I should be there instead.

Wait, did I just think that? I'm, dating John-freaking-Cena, for Pete's sake, I shouldn't be thinking about other guys, especially _him_. Pulling away, I got out of the pool. Shannon had released Kelly and they both approached me. "Shannon, I need to talk to you."

"Great, so do I. Although, I'd much rather be with my girlfriend, I'm in a storyline with your ugly ass."

"If my ass is so ugly, why do you insist on kissing me when I don't expect it?" I asked, accidentally breaching our truce.

"Mind you, if I remember correctly, and trust me, that kiss was hard to forget, you kissed me back." He replied.

John and Kelly looked confused. "Yeah, after you started it. You start all of our arguments!"

"Because I hate you!"

"Yeah, the feeling's mutual." I stated as he growled and put his hands on my shoulder's. "What the hell are you doing!?" He ignored me as he leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"Exactly what you want me to." He leaned out a little bit before capturing my lips in his own. The backyard was full of shocked gasps and two angry growls. In a matter of seconds, John had burst out of the water, grabbed Shannon by the shoulder, pulled him away from me and punched him square in the face. Then Kelly tackled me, grabbing me by my hair and punching me.

John was still attacking Shannon when I pushed Kelly off of me and returned the favor by attacking her. Amidst the chaos, Jamie, Harmony, Beth, and Melina had pulled me off of the blond Diva and Matt, Jeff, and Greg had pulled John away from Shannon. I was not terribly wounded, Kelly had a bleeding nose, and was glowering at me.

Shannon had an eye that I knew was going to be a huge shiner, and his hair was messed up. John was virtually uninjured as he came towards me and put an arm over my shoulder. "You okay, babe?" He asked.

"Yeah." I frowned. "I'm going to stay with you tonight, if that's okay." I asked, he was staying at a nearby hotel. Kelly was staying with Shannon in his house and I didn't want to be near either of them. This was the third in the span of a little over a month, and I was starting to question myself.

"You don't even have to ask." He replied as he walked with me to my house, leaving the others behind.

Once we were in the confines of my home, he asked me, "Has that ever happened before?"

"A couple times, but don't get mad. The first he was drunk, the second was for storyline, and the third was for my own humiliation."

"So this was the third?"

"Yes." I replied as I went into my bathroom to change. A few minutes later, I came back out and started packing. John had changed as well, in a separate bathroom and was standing by his suitcase. "Don't worry, I have this under control."

"If you say so." He smiled again as he kissed my cheek.

(Kelly POV)

It was after midnight, and I sat on the counter in Shannon's bathroom, talking on the phone. "So, baby, was it believable?"

"That you were incredibly pissed at both Shannon and Isabella? Yes, you did very well." The voice said.

"Great. I really think I'm going to pull it off next week. I think you should too." I spoke quietly.

"No, I really need to build trust. Do what you think is necessary and it'll all pan out perfectly."

"Okay, thanks babe. Love ya, see you tomorrow." I blew a kiss through the phone and hung up. Walking out the door, I was surprised to see Shannon standing there, an angered expression crossed his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Hi, Shanny. What are you doing up so late, sexy?"

"Don't call me that, and it's Shannon, not Shanny. Are you serious? I heard everything, Kelly, _everything._ How could you do that to me?" He asked.

"What are you talking about?" I asked innocently.

"You know damn well of what I'm talking about. You are playing me with someone? I cared about you, I gave a damn, and apparently, you didn't. Actually, I don't really think it was a relationship at all! The only thing you and I have in common is our hatred of Isabella!" He yelled.

"Hatred? I can see the way you look at her, it's not hatred. The way you kissed her, everything. How could you do that to me? How long have you been fooling around with that, skank!" I yelled back.

"Bullshit, I never 'fooled around'. You however, have been screwing, who? Rhodes seems like a good suspect. For how long now? Our entire 'realtionship'?"

"Yeah, and it was hilarious too, watching you fall apart without me. Trust me, it'll happen. I know you." I replied.

"You 'know' me? That's a load of crap. " He glared as he gestured with his hands.

"I can see it." I answered.

"Whatever. Six months? Really? You built up a relationship, for laughs?" He questioned.

I shrugged. "It worked. Oh and in case your dumb, Southern ass didn't grasp it, we're over. I was sick of you anyway, all you ever did was play that rancid music, wear those ugly clothes and keep your piercings, and tattoos and be…"

"Myself? I can't really do anything about who I am." He stated.

"Yeah, and if it truly is 'like father, like son', I'm scared as hell to see what'll happen to you. You're probably just like your father, a bumbling, annoying, dumbass." I glared as he became appalled.

"Get the hell out of my house! You can insult my style, you can insult me, you can insult my friends, but don't you dare, insult, my father!" He yelled louder, shocking me. "You heard me, get out of my house!" He hissed as I glared again and rolled my eyes.

"Hold on a friggin second. Oh and it's not Cody, keep goin down the Raw roster, you'll figure it out." I sneered as I left, slamming the doors on my way out.

(Matt POV)

I sighed as Shannon was on the bench. I was spotting him, being the friend I am.

"Then she insults my father. My dad, Matt!" He stated with frustration.

"It'll be okay, Shan. There's so many people out there who were better for you." I replied. We all had our suspicions about Kelly, and tried to warn him, but Shannon, being his stubborn self, wouldn't listen.

"Yeah, right. I have an ex-wife and so far, five ex-girlfriends. Who in their right mind would date me? I'm obviously set for failure."

"You are not set up for failure. If I were a chick, I'd tap your ass." I joked.

He stopped for a second and sat up, taking a sip of his water. Chuckling, he pointed at me. "I'm telling Mel."

"So, what was with that kiss the other day?"

"Isabella? Oh, just riling her up." He stated. I rolled my eyes.

"You really need to stop that. It's getting kind of old. Besides, you need to put that all aside later, you have a match." I warned just as the raven-haired diva strode into the gym, under John's arm. He was taking really good care of her, loving her and making her feel special. She needed somebody like that in her life, a boyfriend. They make such a good couple. Then Kelly came in. "Don't look now, Shan, but it's Blut." Our codename for Kelly had always been Blut, and since they broke up, we shared with Shannon. He loved it. Blut=Bitchy Slut.

"Oh."

"And Izzy and John." I added. He sat up immediately and searched the room. The couple were in the corner, Isabella watching John work out. "Izzy! John, over here!" I gestured for them to join us and in a few minutes, they were there.

"Yeah?" The blacknette asked.

"Care to attempt the bench?" I asked, using an intimidating voice.

"Why not. Shannon, could you please move?"

I gasped and pointed. "You were being polite to Shannon, and it wasn't sarcasm!"

"Matt, I'm not a bitch. I'm not going to go at him for something that isn't his fault. Kelly was, well, despicable. She's kind of mangy anyway, but whatever." She replied as Shannon got up. He stood by John, who sent a small glare his way.

"Kiss her again, in an off-screen moment, and I'll tear you apart." He stated through clenched teeth.

"Down, boy." Isabella joked as she lowered herself to work the bench. "250."

"Pounds?"

"No, Matthew." She stated sarcastically, "Yes. 250 lbs."

I did as told and sighed defeated, as she did seven reps. "Great, now she can throw Adam around. When will you stop, woman? We understand you can kick half of our asses, stop rubbing it in! Did you know that you can approximately bench the same as the average cruiserweight? That's considered bad. Besides the fact that you use more high-flying maneuvers than actual brawler type moves. I feel bad for any man who ever breaks your heart. I am scared for them, although they probably deserved it."

She laughed as she took a drink of water. "I don't know. Maybe when I can lift Show?"

"No, I've seen that kind of shit on T.V. You'll have no boobs, but have to show off in a bikini, while flexing. Not now. Not ever." I stated. "Plus,. It just looks weird."

"I was joking, Matt." Isabella chuckled as she got up and moved to a treadmill. I noticed Shannon watching her from afar, as he sat on the floor, doing sit-ups.

He better not be thinking of a plan to humiliate her, today. He has a bunch of pent up frustration with Kelly, so he might take it out on her. She's so happy with John. I'd hate to see Shannon rip that away from her. Only time will tell.

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**I hope u enjoyed. I know many of you couldn't wait till Kelly was out of the picture, but a mini-spoiler is that she's not done yet. Read and review!**

Yay, the next chappie for A Thick Line here! As you know, I only own Harmony, Isabella and the plot. Read and review, and enjoy.

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	7. Bad News, Good News

**Hiya, this is the next chapter for A Thick Line and judging by your reviewing, it's off to a pretty rockin' start and keep it up! They are really inspiring and give a reason to continue it, so I will. You know the drill, I only own Isabella and Harmony and the plot, read and review, enjoy…the whole enchilada. **

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Chapter Seven: Bad News, Good News

(Isabella POV)

I sighed as I pulled into my driveway. Shannon's house seemed quarantined; no lights, no windows open, curtains drawn, and a caution tape strung across the door and the baseline of his property. What could the guy possibly get into? Don't answer that question. Getting out, I kick the door shut and make my way to my house. I had just gotten back from grocery shopping.

As I neared the front door, I turned the knob. It was open and I didn't notice anything wrong until after I had set the bags on the counter in my kitchen, fed and watered Oz(the dog usually found his way inside my house and I'm prepared, I've talked to Shannon about this and as normal about my requests, he ignores it.) and went into my living room to plop myself down on the couch. I did that only to realize that somebody was already on the couch. He pushed me off, and I narrowly dodged the coffee table.

"Shannon? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"My house is quarantined." He replied, reading a magazine. "I didn't know you wanted a tattoo."

"Get out of my personal life, and what do you mean by 'quarantined'?"

"Well, it's sorta a long story. I found a couple of roaches, followed them for a while and then I saw their nest and apparently there's eggs and all sorts of other creepy crawlies. The exterminator had to spray this chemical stuff that's toxic to humans and animal, so he told me to pack up my stuff and head on over to a friend's house. Jeff and Beth need some alone time, Lucas and Oz are mad at each other for whatever reason, Shane lives to far away, Harmony's too new to be bunking at her house, that leaves you, my darling Izzyabellzy." He finished.

"Roaches? How do you know you didn't bring any with you?"

"They thoroughly examined me and the clothing I brought. So, which guest room do I get, or do you not have guest rooms. In that case, I'll make myself at home right here in your living room."

The thought instantly drilled nightmares into my head. "Yes, I have guest rooms. Trash them and you'll be dead, disemboweled and sold on eBay by the time you can even blink."

"Why must you threaten thee with such mindless violence?"

"You know, just because you talk smart, doesn't mean you are smart." I retorted.

"Touché."

"I'm sorry if they drill a bunch of big ways to speak into your head in law school. Not my fault." I sighed.

"It's rubbing off on me." He muttered as he moved over so I could sit down. "So, I never knew you listened to country. When I turned the T.V. on, it was on CMT. Are you losing what little edge you had?"

"No, I'm not losing anything, it's just that every now and then, some songs are really good." I replied. "So, what's next? A pie in my face? Dog crap in my shoes?"

"Those ideas are so anticlimactic, and you should know about climaxes." He gave me a look and wiggled his eyebrows. "C'mon, it's been more than a month, you and John must've gotten down to something, if you catch my drift. Let me ask you a question, screamer or moaner?"

"Asshole." I averted my eyes from him.

He laughed. "C'mon, Isabella." Shannon stared at me for a few seconds before he stopped and got serious. "Seriously, you haven't…"

"No, I don't believe in premarital sex. Anybody else can do whatever they want. It's just not my thing." I replied, antsy about where this was heading.

"Why? Is it a religion thing?"

"No, Shannon. It's not a 'religion' thing. Again, it's just not my thing. Most of the decision to stay with a girl is based on how they 'do in bed'. I don't want some guy leaving me because of 'bad' sex. I'll wait till a guy has the guts to marry me for who I am as a person and if they love me enough to marry me, they should get all of me, in that sense. Are you satisfied?" I asked as looked him in the eye.

"Sorry. I just thought that, well, most people lose their virginity my the time they're twenty. You're turning thirty this year, it's a big leap. I'm sorry for making such a huge assumption . It's perfectly fine for you to want to wait and I can see why. You want more than just a one night stand or some jackass that leaves you because he doesn't like what you have to offer, in that field." Shannon cleared his throat. "You want…commitment. You want to make sure they love you before you give it up. Perfectly understandable."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked back.

"You didn't verbally attack me like you usually do." I explained, raising an eyebrow.

"Izyabellz, I'm not a total dick, thank you for asking. I'll respect you for that. Most people, who aren't religious, probably have already had sex. You are one only one I know who's retaliating against what all the celebs try to tell us. Sex scandals are cool, sex is great, start having it now because I am, yada…yada…yada." He stated. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Well, I wasn't expecting company, so I only bought one pizza. Sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, onions and green peppers." I said.

"Pop it in. I'm guessing no alcohol?" He questioned.

"You guessed right. Besides, the last time you were drunk, you planted one on me." I replied as I got up and went into the kitchen, taking the frozen pizza out of the reusable cloth bag I use, prepared it and slid it into the oven.

"I was drunk. I thought we weren't going to bring it up again?"

"Aw, so this wasn't a coming of age of our relationship. We aren't going to make up, have a huge sobfest and apologize for everything we've done to each other?" I fake pouted.

"Not a chance. I'll let Oz out."

"Take him for a walk. I'm not scooping up dog crap in my back or front yards." I yelled after him as he retrieved a leash he had probably brought over here. As he hooked Oz up, I couldn't help but watch from the kitchen. The man was playfully riling him up and somewhat baby-talking him. My cell phone rang as soon as he disappeared out the door. Grabbing it, I put it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Isabella?"

"Hey, John. What's up?"

"I just wanted to check up on my girl, you know? See how things are going." He stated.

"That's so sweet. Even though we just saw each other yesterday. So, what are you doing?" I smile.

"Just sitting around. It's lonely in Massachusetts. I'm visiting the parents. You?"

"Preparing dinner for Shannon and I." I replied.

"What is he doing over at your house?" He asked, voice sounding suddenly serious and angry.

"His house is having technical difficulties, so I'm stuck with him for an indefinite amount of time, I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"Whatever you say, babe. I'll check in with you later."

"Okay, see you later." I answered as he hung up. A smile crossed my face. Things were going really well with John, and it's only the first couple months. I checked the pizza, realized it was done and got it out just as Shannon came back.

"Good boy, Ozzy." The pit-bull licked his face before trotting off and laying down on the carpet. "Good, it's done."

We each got our slices and sat on the couch. "Anything new with you?"

"Nah. Kelly's spreading rumors that she broke up with me because I cheated on her with 'some chick at the bar'."

"Oh." I sighed. "Is anybody believing them?"

"No, fortunately. Kelly is probably the worst liar when she doesn't plan it." Shannon sighed too. "We had, like, nothing in common. She didn't like anything about me, or what I stood for, or anything. I am so lucky my mom hadn't met her yet."

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you that. How is your mom?" I asked.

"She's alright. She misses me and wishes I was home more often." He stated. "She really likes you. So does Gil. Although, I don't think they want me to tell you that." He chuckled as he got up and got some more pizza. "Are you done?"

"Yeah."

"So, I put the leftovers in the fridge?"

"It's not rocket science." I called back. I have no idea why he's acting so strange. He's being nice to me, which is a far cry from what he usually is. Maybe it's the breakup. They might not of had much in common, but he thought she really loved him. It's so sad, kind of. I feel sorry for the man. He gives everything into something when he has his heart set on it, he started dating her and put his heart and soul into making her happy. God, I'm glad I have John. There's not many men like him in the world. He's so sweet and kind.

Nothing much happened for the rest of the night. We were silent for a few hours, watching T.V. Even though we fought over the remote and what to watch and all that crap.

* * *

(Shannon POV)

I gingerly stood over her sleeping form, pondering whether I should wake her or not. Her naturally black locks splayed over the pillow as she was dozed off. Something really strange is happening to me, it's almost hard to be cruel to her. Instead of wanting her pain to be near her, I want to keep it as far away from the raven-haired woman as possible. John just isn't right for her. How they even get along is amazing.

Isabella would probably rather dye her hair blond than listen to rap. She has nothing against blonds, it's just another thing that's 'just not her'. Right now, I have no idea what _is_ her. She doesn't drink, she doesn't smoke, she doesn't do drugs, she doesn't have premarital sex, she doesn't flaunt her body when she doesn't have to. Yeah, she wears clothes that flatter her, but she doesn't run around in micro-miniskirts with the tiniest top on that barely covered anything, and a little dog under her arm, named the babiest, unoriginal names like Pookie, and Cookie, and all sorts of shit like that.

She's probably get a rottweiler and name it something like Kai, because it can be either a female or male name, and it sounds cool. If she's a cat person, honestly, she could be either, she'd probably name it something a little cuter like Pixel, and it'll be demon cat from hell. I don't even know why I'm thinking about what kind of pet she'd have and what she'd name it. Something is seriously starting to get screwed up, and I'm determined to not let that happen.

"Izzyabellzy!" I yelled. Instantly she shot up.

"What?"

"We have a plane to catch, remember?" I asked, slightly irritated.

"Oh yeah. What time is it?" She rubbed her eyes and yawned. Her pale skin illuminated by the sun, peeking in through the windows. Isabella didn't tan. I don't think she can. Apparently, she's a burner and wouldn't get a spray on tan or a tanning bed tan. Why? Because she's different.

"Nine." I was already dressed, and waiting.

"Oh." She instantly got out of bed. Isabella was clad in a tank top and shorts and as she moced towards the dresser, she shooed me away.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before." I smirked.

"Yes, but if you stay, it'll be the last thing you'll ever see." Isabella threatened.

"Yeah, you have a point. Whatever you're hiding, is probably not worth dying for." I retorted and left, shutting the door on my way out. A few minutes later, she came out, dressed in jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt with a black vest over it. Then she went into the bathroom. I rolled my eyes, women always take too long in the bathroom.

Instead of waiting, I went downstairs and sat on the couch. Oz, jumped up next to me and licked my face. "I know buddy. Beth's coming over every day to check on you. You'll be fine." He barked in reply and licked my face again. Minutes later, Isabella came down the stairs, a suitcase in tow.

"Let's go. Bye, Ozzy!" She cooed as she went out to her truck. I followed.

"I'm driving." I stated. Isabella rolled her eyes as she threw her suitcase into the back, landing it on mine as she hopped into the passenger side. I turned the ignition and pulled out of her driveway and onto the road. We said nothing for the entire ride to the airport, then nothing until we were seated. "Great, I have to sit next to you."

"Ditto." She replied, taking a book out of her bag.

"Nightmare in Apartment 213: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story? Seriously? You are kind of creepy. I hope that you aren't using that for reference." I stated.

"It's interesting to learn about serial killers."

"Creepy." I snorted as I looked out the window. It was going to be a long day.

When we got off the plane and to the arena, John was waiting. He welcomed Isabella with open arms and kissed her. I fought the urge to yell 'get a room'. "Vince wants to see you in his office, babe."

"What for?"

"I don't know, he said it was for a match." John informed as he watched her leave. "So, Shannon, resisting the urge to kiss her?"

"Relax, it was for her humiliation. Anything to get her angry, I'll do." I replied.

"Good. It gives me the space I need to really connect with her. She's a sweet girl. Hot."

"Dude, whatever." I rolled my eyes. "So what does Vince want with her?"

"No clue whatsoever."

"Goodie." I sighed sarcastically.

(Isabella POV)

Vince smiled warmly as I entered his office. Kelly was already in the room, looking smug.

I took a seat. "Ah, Isabella. I need to tell you something. At the PPV after Night of Champions, Summerslam, you have a match."

"You're planning a match that far in advance?"

"Yes, Ms. Blank. Well, you two get to start a feud. It goes on for until Summerslam where it's ended in a Hair vs. Hair match." He spoke.

"Who wins?" I ask, worried.

"It depends. It's a legit match. You two actually have to fight and whoever wins gets to shave the other's head. You two can't decide who wins, I can't, nobody can. The only thing that can tell who'll win is when the ref hit's the 1,2,3 on the loser."

"Perfect." I smirked. Kelly looked really worried now, knowing that Vince couldn't save her and that I wasn't going to go easy on her. Welcome to the big league's Kelly. You're playing with the big boys…girls now. Laughing evilly in my head, I thanked him and left, going out to meet John and Shannon again. "Guess what, I have a match with Kelly at Summerslam. It's a hair vs. hair match and the thing is, Vince didn't decide on a winner. The winner is decided on the night of Summerslam, when the winner gets the pin. It could be either me or Kelly." John went pale. Shannon laughed.

"Babe, you're going to let her win, right?"

"Me? Let somebody beat me? No way, I'm going all out." I replied. "It's a wonderful case of bad news, good news. The bad news, Shannon's living with me for a while, the good news, I have a very good chance of beating Kelly in a hair vs. hair match. It's delectable!" I laughed maniacally again.

"Listen, bitch. Just because you're stronger than me, doesn't mean you'll beat me. I promise you, I'll shave your ugly hair, after ripping half of it out of your scalp." Kelly threatened.

"Okay, I'm confident about this match, but I've learned to expect losing, so don't think I'll be weeping if I lose that match."

"You mean when you lose." She snorted as she walked away.

Giving me another kiss, John smiled. "I gotta go, babe. See you later." He walked off, leaving me with Shannon.

"You'll kick her ass."

"I know. We start a feud soon, to build up suspense." I replied.

"I can't wait." Shannon stated.

* * *

**Yay, I finally got it all down. I really hope you enjoyed it. So, who will win? Stay tuned to find out, although it's still a little ways into the future. Anyway, read and review!**


	8. Lit Up Like the 4th of July

**Yay, next chappie for A Thick Line. There's a poll in my profile about what Shannon's and Isabella's couple name should be, so please vote. Happy 4****th**** of July!**

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Chapter Eight: Lit Up Like the 4th of July

(Shannon POV)

I ran my hands through my hair and stared at my cell phone. It kept ringing and ringing and ringing. The caller I.D. flashed Kelly's name over and over, her ringtone screeching from the speakers. It consumed my mind, my thoughts. It hijacked my train of thought and took a joyride through my head. Images of Kelly driving a train through my brain, with me tied up in the seat behind her. I could just imagine her swerving maniacally, laughing hysterically with mild evil tones.

Then, all of a sudden, I was on a train. Kelly was driving, clearly not knowing how to operate a train. Leaning out the window, I saw Shannon's Train of Thought written in neat script alongside the body. Looking around the car, I saw what must be at the front of my mind. Pictures of Isabella were set up, taped to the walls, or it was the tiniest thing that could remind someone of Isabella. Like black and green. The car was painted black and green. Isabella's favorite colors, and the color of her hair and eyes.

Confused more than ever, I also saw the color pink, from when I dyed her hair, bugs, which Isabella hates, and so many other things. Kelly smirked. "Don't try leaving my sight, you're tied up." Looking down I realized that I was indeed tied up. I had a nightmare about this a while ago, only Isabella was driving and was steering towards a cliff, I was naked, strapped to the seat with razor blades, spikes and all sorts of snippy, cutting, slicing weapons moving closer and closer to my body

This was very similar, I was strapped to a chair, thankfully clothed, and all in one piece. I was still strapped to the seat, bummer. Someone who clearly hated me was driving to an unknown destination, and not doing a very good job. Every few seconds, the train swerved and took a turn it normally wouldn't have been able to. Then, we ran off the tracks.

As we fell into God knows where and as I screamed the entire way down, Kelly began to laugh harder, a creepy, scary, evil laugh. We began to fall into a shadowy pit and I knew this was the end. The end of the end. I never got to say goodbye to anyone. I was going to die too young. Suddenly, my body began shaking and a sweet, feminine southern accent called out my name.

"Shannon! Shannon? Shannon!"

I opened one eye to see a blinding light. Jolting upward, I felt a breeze hit my chest. Why was I shirtless. "Am I dead?"

"No, you were having a nightmare." Isabella stated, as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"So, I'm not strapped to a seat on a train where Kelly's driving and suddenly fell of the side of a cliff into a pit of darkness and death?" I asked. Her eyebrow hiked up and she shook her head slowly.

"You've been here all night for the past few days. Now get up, you need to help me prepare for the cookout today, remember? It's the Fourth of July." She smiled reassuringly. I obeyed and stood up, noticing I was only in a pair of boxers.

"You're not going to attack me with hedge clippers and snip of my balls and penis?" I asked, weary.

"It depends, do you want me to?" She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Lemme guess, you had a nightmare about me attacking you with hedge clippers, snipping of your package?"

"Uh, yeah."

"So you think about me at night?" Isabella laughed as I rolled my eyes.

"What time is it?" I questioned.

"Noon. I already cleaned up the living room and stuff, along with the back porch and backyard. Then I-" Her cell began to ring and she answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Izzy, are you sure you want these two little angels back?" It was Amy, who had recently moved back to North Carolina and had opened up an animal daycare. Only Isabella's dogs had been there for a while. She has to drop them off somewhere because they can't survive by themselves, apparently. Well, that's why you get big dogs, who have figured out how to open the cabinet and eat out of the dog food bag, who have a dog door and a backyard full if nice grass and wooded area to serve as their bathroom. You don't get puny little Pomeranians.

"Yeah, Ames. Sorry, hey, do you think I should bring them on the road with me?"

"I don't know, I wouldn't be able to see them as often and they're so freaking adorable. I guess you can, if you can live with a depressed black-haired, former WWE Diva."

"I think I can handle that. I'm kidding, Amy. Bring them with you when you come to the cookout. I gotta go, I need to take a shower and make some of the food. Remember, you're brining desert."

"A'ight. I'll be there. 5:00 right?"

"Yeah. Bye." She hung up and slipped it back into the pocket of her sweatpants.

"You're not going like that, are you?"

"Yes I am." She replied and I knew she was being sarcastic as she went back into her room, gathered her clothes and a towel before entering the bathroom. I rolled my eyes and went downstairs, so she had done some cleaning, the place was spotless. I fixed myself some breakfast and sat at the dining room table.

Isabella and I haven't really been arguing. Maybe it's time to change that. John wouldn't be around, he had to go home, to Massachusetts. Isabella understood. If they were to get married, her name would either be Isabella Rose Smith-Cena or Isabella Rose Cena. Neither sound appealing. Another thing I just noticed, her initials I.S. spell _is_ and all three of her initials spell out I.R.S. Now if she were to marry me, per say, it would sound really nice. Isabella Rose Moore. Sounds nice. What am I thinking? I'm thinking about Isabella's married name over a bowl of Lucky Charms?

I stopped in mid-chew. Isabella had come back downstairs. Had it already been that long? Whatever. She looked very different. Instead of the usual jeans and a t-shirt or something black, she wore a sundress. Not just any sundress, a _snow white_ sundress with a tube top styled top that melted into a pleated skirt. Around the fitted waist of the dress was a bright red belt. She had accessorized with a blue bracelet on each wrist, a necklace that had a sapphire hanging from a silver chain.

She bit her lip and fiddled with the necklace, which had dipped cautiously low to her cleavage. "Well? Let me guess, I look terrible because it's me?"

"You look pretty." I said without thinking. Way to go Shannon, now she thinks you're a freak. Wait, she already thinks I'm a freak.

"Are you okay, Shannon? It's a little early to be drunk, don't you think?" Then she ran a hand through her hair, which she had curled slightly and half of it up. The curls gently bounced on her shoulders and fell down her back as she took a seat next to mine. Now I realize that she had the slightest bit of makeup on. Just enough to make her eyes pop a little and a little lip gloss.

"Do I have to be drunk to compliment you?"

"Well, the last time-"

"That was last time! That was then, this is now. I am so confused right now! Do you know how it feels to fall in love with someone, then realize it's all a joke, just to realize that you never really loved that person?" I snapped at her.

She jumped. "I'm sorry Shannon. I really am. I know it must be terrible for you, it would be for me too. It's just that you seem so okay about it all the time."

"It's so people don't find me weak. It's all a ploy so people won't think that I can't handle a little heartbreak. If I pretend I'm okay with it, I start believing I'm okay with it and the whole thing becomes easier. Then, nobody asks questions." I replied and stood up, putting my dishes in the sink. Turning around, I felt a slender pair of arms wrap around my waist and a small head rest against my chest. "Isa-"

"You needed a hug." She murmured, tightened her grip slightly as I returned the hug. "I'm sorry I brought that up."

"You don't need to be sorry. I'm the jackass that is set for failure. Every time I ever have something good going for me, I screw it up. Crystal, my schedule. Julie, low income. Few others, obsessed with my fame. Kelly, everything about me."

"That wasn't your fault, Shannon. Crystal just didn't understand how demanding your job is. Julie, well, just didn't wait long enough for a push. The others, can't see past your looks and your fame. Kelly, ugh, Kelly just doesn't know a good thing when she sees it." Isabella responded, still hugging me. She pulled away and turned around before walking out of the kitchen.

"This doesn't change anything between us!" I called after her.

"I know!"

* * *

(Harmony POV)

"So, why do we have to bring a dish?" I asked the rainbow-haired man next to me.

"Because if Izzy cooks for more than two people, the house freaking house will burn down in thirty minutes." Jeff answered as he moved the bowl of mashed potatoes to his other arm. "Isabella! This fluffy crap is real-freaking-hot! I'd appreciate it if you'd let us in!"

"Just go around back." Greg rolled his eyes and went around the house, a plate of BBQ chicken wrapped in aluminum foil in his hand. We followed his suit and put the dishes down on a glass table set up in the backyard, and a picnic table was set up a little ways away, with condiments, plates, "She's home, right?' I asked. She better be." Amy stated, one hand holding a cake tin, the other holding two leashes leading to a tan Pomeranian and a black Pomeranian. "Hercules, Hades, go find mommy." She dropped the leashes and immediately, the small dogs went and laid down in the grass.

"Wow, how loyal." Matt mutter sarcastically. "If I had known this was a dog party, I would've brought Lucas."

"Then we'd have one huge male dog hump party." Isabella chuckled as she walked across the lawn in what I believed to be wedge-high heels with white straps that wrapped around her heel. Also known as the shoe of death, and suicide shoe. She picked up her two dogs, Hercules, the tan one, licked her face happily, as did Hades, the black one. As she straightened up, she found that she was being stared at, and she was. Every eye was on her. "What?"

"Oh my God, you're wearing a dress. A white dress with high heels and jewelry!" Matt yelled, pointing a finger at her.

"What a discovery, Captain Obvious." Isabella replied as everyone got their food.

"You look like a girl!"

"Don't I always look like a girl?" She asked the eldest Hardy.

"I'm shutting up." Matt replied as he began eating.

"Best idea you've had all day." Melina smirked.

* * *

"So, we're setting off our own fireworks?" I asked, it had gotten dark and Matt had brought out fireworks.

"Yep, the town ones are the same every year. So, we just do it ourselves." Jeff replied as his bottle rocket screeched past my ear and popped by a tree.

"Thanks, Jeff." I replied.

"Anytime." He laughed. Isabella dragged an oil barrel from her garage and set it up in her backyard. She grabbed a couple packs of firecrackers.

"Is that a good idea?"

"Greg, don't be such a party pooper. My family did it all the time. We'd go watch the fireworks, sit in the bed of my uncle's truck and before the fireworks went off, we'd throw firecrackers into the street."

"You're family is a bunch of psychos." Greg replied to me.

"We've done crazier stuff here when it wasn't a national holiday. Heck, every day is a national holiday here." Isabella laughed as she lit a couple small packs of firecrackers and threw them into the barrel before covering it with the top and running to stand by us. She had taken off her shoes, thank God, she's been running from fireworks all evening.

Then the firecrackers went off, dozens of pops came from the oil barrel, very much imitating popcorn. Only it's more of a steel kind of popcorn. Matt had a fire going in her fire pit and had begun throwing whatever he could find in it's glowing flames. Standing by Beth, I sighed. "Look, they aren't fighting." I pointed to Shannon and Isabella , who were sitting next to each other. Isabella's head titled slightly to where it was lightly resting on his shoulder. Her hand almost touching his on the bench, a smile on both their faces as they watched the fire.

"Oh my God." She whispered. Everyone else had gathered around, string at the wonder. Quickly, she whipped out a camera and snapped a picture. "We can put this up with the other one." Looking back at them, they hadn't moved. "How sweet."

"Give it time, they'll be hating again in a few hours, if not, tomorrow." Jeff frowned, knowing it was true. We all did, but were savoring the moment.

"Yeah, but it makes the day that much more enjoyable." I smiled.

* * *

**There it is, a little late, since the 4****th**** of July was yesterday, but at least it's here. Review please and please vote! Thanks. **


	9. Revelations

**I own nothing except the plot and Isabella and Harmony. Enjoy and remember to vote in my poll, if you haven't already. To those who have voted, thank you! Read and review!**

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Chapter Nine: Revelation

(Isabella POV)

As I walked into the hotel, I sullenly looked down at the dusty carpeted floor. Suddenly, I bumped into someone, that person being Alicia Fox. "Watch where you're going, slutface."

"Sorry, Alicia. I've been having somewhat of a rough day." I murmured.

"And that concerns me how, exactly?"

"Listen, if you're being bitchy, just so you can impress Shannon, go right ahead. He's single. Also, don't think of me as any sort of competition. I hate him."

This brought a smile to her face. "Really?"

"Yeah, really, now get out of my way." I demanded as she let me pass. Shaking my head, I looked at the ground again as my duffel dragged on the ground. Turning a corner as I started going up the stairs, I looked up in time to see Kelly, Maryse, and Alicia. How Alicia got there without me seeing was beyond me. All three hated me, so I new something bad was up, especially with the menacing way they approached. "What in the world could you three possibly want?"

"We're going to take you for a little ride." Kelly smirked. Now, I knew I could take on Kelly easily, and Alicia. Maryse possibly a little bit longer of a match, but that's in one-on-one action. Here it was most definitely three-on-one. Kelly glared as Alicia grabbed one of my wrists and Maryse grabbed the other one. Looking around, I saw that the lobby was empty. The clerk was gone, they must've gotten a third person to distract him as they dragged me to the elevator. "You hate elevators, don't you? Hmm, then this should get interesting."

The doors opened and they shoved me in, causing me to slam backwards into the person inside the elevator. Instantly, I recognized the tattooed arm that wrapped around my waist and the other, which was gripping the silver rail for support. The three laughed as they stepped inside before they pressed all the buttons and as the elevator began to move, I curled in tighter to the man's chest, even though I knew who it was. He looked even more surprised than I did. His green eyes narrowed as he put his other hand on my hair, stroking softly. "Stop the elevator." He hissed. Three more figures moved out of the shadow, and I heard him growl at them. "DiBiase, Rhodes, Swagger, please do something."

They ignored him and Jack whispered something into Alicia's ear. She stared evilly at me.

"What? Press more buttons? Why, Shanny, all you had to do was ask." Alicia cackled as she proceeded to press even more levels before the elevator stopped completely and shook a bit. Shannon, with me in his arms slid back to a corner. A voice came over the intercom.

"Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, the elevator seems to be experiencing technical difficulties, so please use the stairs. To anybody who is inside the elevator, please remain calm and we will have you out as soon as possible."

"Now look what you did. Did any of you plan for this to happen, cause I swear I will either kick your ass, or get Isabella's female friends to kick your ass." Shannon stated through gritted teeth. His face softened as he whispered into my ear. "It'll be okay, Isabella." Slowly, he let go and turned me to face him. I was still breathing heavily and trying to catch my breath. "Isabella?" He asked softly as I slid down to the ground, arms wrapped around my legs which I had drawn in to my chest.

"Is she okay?" Cody asked.

"She's probably faking to get attention. She's skanky and fake like that." Jack rolled his eyes, but jumped when Shannon charged at him, gripping his shirt by the caller and pressing him against the nearest wall. With one arm shaking, he pointed at me.

"Does that look like faking to you?" He asked the younger blond, who in a state of shock from the outburst of the usually quiet man, shook his head. "Listen, Hager. I don't particularly like you, but for her sake, I'm not going to push this any farther. She has enough to worry about." He glanced at me, green eyes softened from their hardened state as he sent a small, reassuring smile in my direction.

I had no idea what had gotten into him lately. It seemed as though he was becoming a different person. A kinder, sweeter, respectful person towards me. In fact, he was treating me as he would treat a good friend or a girlfriend. I can't be thinking about that right now. Looking around at the average elevator atmosphere, I began to panic again. Heavy, sharp breaths and an overwhelming feeling of distress washed over me.

"I'm going to die." I whispered. Maryse looked guilty and she sat beside me. "I-I-I'm going t-to die."

"No, Isabella, you're not. You're going to be okay. Don't think about death. We'll be out soon." The blond reassured me, patting my back, Cody sat on the other side, also reassuring my safety. Kelly and Alicia looked down in disgust. Jack had totally grown distant from the entire situation, standing in the opposite corner from me, staring into the distance. Shannon had finally let him go and had taken a seat in front of me, Ted had also sat down near me

"Sweetheart, did you hear about the movie, Ice Age 3?"

I nodded.

"How about, later on, we'll go see it, okay?" Shannon smiled and brushed a lock of hair from my face. Maryse and Cody stood, tapped his shoulder and took him to talk across the small space.

What are you doing?" The French-Canadian asked lowly.

"She's having a panic attack. The best thing we can do to help her is to distract her." He replied.

"So, Isabella, do you wanna know the death ratio in elevators?" Kelly asked.

"Shut up, Kelly! You too, Alicia. How would you like it if someone was making you sit through your worst fear. Hmm? I bet for you it would be getting your hair shaved off. I can't wait for that hair match, don't think everyone doesn't know about it. Back off, an stay off." Cody barked at the two, skinny Divas, who shied away and stood by Jack. The trio then moved back to me, comforting me until the doors opened, revealing a small crowd of Superstars and Divas.

Shannon backed up as I shakily walked out first, he trailed close behind me, his hands barely brushing my hips, as if preparing for a fall, With the way I was shaking, it could've happened. The crowd must've realized what had happened. Seeing as though I was nowhere to be found and neither was my 'enemies', they put two and two together and realized I was taken hostage in the elevator. The sad thing was that they were probably blaming Shannon.

Sure enough, John had pushed his way to the front of the crowd, a scowl crossed his face as he neared me. "Go away, Shannon. I'll take it from here. Isabella, come on, I have an autograph signing, so you'll have to come with me."

"H-he di-didn't do anything. He helped me, John. B-besides, I-I wanna stay here, with S-Shannon." I stammered, slightly shaking as he nodded and let me go, but he grabbed Shannon's arm.

"Remember, I'll tear you apart." He growled as he released his grip and let us go. Slowly, I walked to the stairs and started my way up.

"You're still shaking like a leaf. I had no idea it was that bad, Isabella, are you sure you're okay?" Shannon asked, still holding my waist. His voice was soft and sincere as he stopped me on the third step. "We're on the seventeenth floor, no way are you going to be able to walk that." He sighed and moved so that he was in front of me, his back towards me. "C'mon."

"What?"

"Get on, I promise I won't drop you." He turned his head over his shoulder and smiled. I smiled back before obeying him. My arms draped over his shoulders as he hooked his arms under my knees. "See, now you can relax and enjoy the ride."

I smiled against his shoulder as he continued up the stairs. "Is this why you have such great legs, because you always take the stairs? Hmm, I'll take that into mind." I laughed as he said this. We were halfway up and he had broken the comfortable silence. "Isabella, um, can I ask you a personal question when we get back to the room?"

"Sure." I closed my eyes as his steps leveled out. I had expected him to drop me when we got to our level, but instead, he kept me up and slid his hand into his pocket, pulling out the key. "Thank you, Shannon, for everything."

"No problem." He cleared his throat as he pushed the door open and kicked it shut behind him.

"I'm pretty sure I can walk now, Shannon." I smiled as I slid off his back and he turned to face me. I hugged him tightly, my arms around his neck again as his slid around me, cautiously. Leaning up, I kissed his cheek. "Seriously, thank you, Shannon." I went to go sit on the bed and he sat next to me.

"About that question, why do you hate elevators so much?" He looked me in the eye. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah." I lowered my head. "Well, it started when I was about six. My mom, dad, my grandparents on both sides, my uncle and aunt, and my cousin and I were in my dad's office building and he worked on the top floor. We were having a surprise party for him there, that's why everyone was there. It was on our way home, everyone but me got on the elevator. I was scared and asked if I could walk down the stairs. Of course I couldn't go alone, so my mother went with me. They had urged me to go on the elevator, but I couldn't. I was afraid because of this feeling I had, you know the one where you just know when something bad was going to happen?"

He nodded, entranced in my story.

"Anyway, I wouldn't budge, so my mom had gone down with me. When we got down into the lobby, we expected to see them there. They weren't, so my mother asked the receptionist if they had come down. I was sitting on a couch when she came back, tears in her eyes. Being the little kid I was, I asked where daddy was and where everyone else went. If this was a mean joke.

"Then she told me that the elevator cord was broken and it had snapped almost as soon as the elevator had started, so they had fallen over 20 floors and crashed in the basement. Well, she put it into little kid vocab and said that daddy and the rest where in a better place. I asked if we all go to a better place, she replied that sooner or later, we all go to a better place. Only, they needed daddy and the others more than we did and that they were happier with God because nothing was bad where they were." I explained, sullenly looking away from him.

"Six? It's sort of like Matt and Jeff reversed, and of course different circumstances. I'm sorry, Isabella. You're still scared, after all these years?" He put a hand on my knee, and it didn't bother me. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I didn't want to be another person who lost a parent in a tragic circumstance. It just wasn't fair anyway. By the time I felt like I was ready to tell you, your dad died and I didn't want to seem to change the subject to me. It wouldn't have been fair to you." I sniffled unexpectedly, shocked that I was crying. "Can we keep this between us? My whole story?"

"Whatever makes you feel more comfortable." He whispered as he hugged me.

(Shannon POV)

I pulled back. "Um, do you still want to go see that movie?"

She shook her head. "No, I just want to stay here. Wanna order a pizza?"

"Your choice." I replied. "Don't you want to go with John?"

"Oh, I almost forgot about him. Hmm, he would've called when he got off. Might be hanging with the boys." She murmured and I shook my head. John had been spending barely enough time with her to keep her interested. Isabella always says 'he's a bigger Superstar than I am, he'll usually be busy'. Yeah, but too busy to hang out with your girlfriend. I spend more time with her in one day than John usually does in a week. Yet, she idolizes him like he's a god.

Isabella put her hand on her cell phone, waiting for a call or a text, or anything to prove she was still his. Okay, that was cheesy. She sighs as she stands and takes off her shirt. I then notice she's wearing a lime green bra.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Changing." She replies as she pulls a tank top on before removing her pants and pulling a pair of shorts on. "Why?"

"Nothing. It's just that, well, um, you didn't leave, or anything." I quickly looked away, avoiding her sparkling green eyes.

"Nothing you haven't seen before, and I know you're not a virgin."

"What would possibly make you think that I'm not a virgin?" I spit out, trying to avoid the subject.

"You were married, have had numerous girlfriends, and you kiss and tell." She stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I rolled my eyes at her as she climbed into the only bed. Quickly, I changed, stripping of my shirt and pants before sliding under the covers. "God, Shannon, you could've put on pants." She whispered.

"It's how I sleep."

"I thought we said that you would wear pants whenever you slept with me."

"Wow, Izzyabell, re-think that last line there." I chuckled as I tried to go to sleep. The main word in that sentence is _tried_. I tried desperately and failed miserably. It had been hours since Isabella had fallen asleep and I pushed myself up onto my elbow with my face resting in my palm.

She looked so serene. Her hair tousled and spread out over the pillow, one arm draped over her stomach while the other had somehow gotten itself underneath my back. Suddenly and without warning, she turned in and curled in close to my chest. My heart skipped a beat and I could've sworn she felt it as her nose twitched. The scent of her body moisturizer wafted into my nose. Some kind of berry, although I couldn't pinpoint exactly which berry.

The room was silent. "Isabella." I whispered, hoping she was awake and that she was messing with my head. No answer. Cautiously, I slid an arm around her waist and rolled over so that I was on my back and she ended up on my side, her arm under my waist while the other draped over my stomach. Oh God, butterflies fluttered in my stomach at her closeness. Again, my heart skipped several beats before matching the rhythm of hers. Her head was inches away from mine, beckoning me to kiss her. Softly, on the lips, I did.

And John Cena couldn't to a thing about it.

Damn, Isabella, if only you knew the effects you can have on a guy.

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**Whoooo! There it is! The entire chapter in one day! You have completed Phase One of Reading and Reviewing. If you are reading this footnote, that means you've completed the 'read' part. Now, do you accept Phase Two? Lol. Hopefully you do and this story will still have a chance at brilliance. Thanks. **


	10. Impossible

**Well, voting is over. Thanks to all who voted, the name Shanabella won! I only own the OCs and the plot. Um, here's another chapter. I know it's a bit soon, but my updating can be frequent or infrequent. Anyway, enjoy, read and review. **

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Chapter Ten: Impossible

(John POV)

I entered Isabella's hotel room quietly, trying to surprise her. Instead, I was surprised. She was wrapped in his arms, snoring softly, while Shannon was smiling at her. As the door opened, he looked up and saw me. His face paled and he rolled out of bed. Again, I was surprised by the fact that he was in his boxers.

"What is going on here?" I yelled, Isabella shot straight up.

"Nothing." She replied. "Um, I'm going to go take a shower." Isabella slid out of bed and gathered clean clothing. She stopped by John and he pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"Hmm, you were wrapped in his arms. That sure seems like nothing. Are you okay? He didn't force you into anything, did he. Say the word and I'll make sure-" Kissing his cheek, she shook her head before going out of sight.

"John, I wouldn't make a move on someone else's girlfriend. I have more integrity than that and do you even hear yourself speak? You're acting as if she's the only thing that matters to you." Shannon snapped back at me.

"Because she is!" I yelled back.

Shannon's voice quieted to his regular tone. "Really? Is that so? Because I've been spending more time with her than you have."

"I'm busy! I have a title shot to worry about, I have everything to worry about." I glared the younger, shorter man down. He didn't step back.

"If I were in your shoes, I'd rethink your priorities. Which will be yours longer? The title, or Isabella. Which could you always have another shot at? The title, or Isabella?"

"I came here to ask Isabella to lunch, happy now?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"You hardly know anything about Isabella. Listen, I'm more of a boyfriend for her now than you've been in the past couple weeks." He was so sincere.

"Oh, so she's been doing you? You know, when I first saw her, she didn't seem like the slut type." I yelled.

"Now you think she's being unfaithful? Listen, she adores you and you make her happy, as far as I know. She doesn't even like me like that, and even if she did, I'd want her to dump you before she moved on to me. I'm all for fidelity, okay? And so is Isabella, if you don't believe that, then that's you problem and your loss." He stated as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt.

"Oh, so do you like her, now?"

"Hmm, now lemme think about that. No, if anything, she's starting to become a friend, that's it, didn't you hear me just a little bit ago?" Shannon rolled his eyes as he brushed his hair with his fingers and tied a bandana around his head before pulling a hat over his still messy hair.

"Just don't fall in love with her." I stated, putting as much menace into my voice as possible.

He couldn't reply because Isabella had just gotten out, wearing faded jeans and a green camouflage top. I smiled and kissed her as he rolled his eyes slightly. "Um, I have to go." He mumbled something incoherent and practically ran out the door.

(Adam POV)

The door to my locker room opened and shut. A new presence from behind me caused me to turn around, only to jump and nearly fall over from shock at who was in my locker room. Clutching my crutch, I also grabbed his shoulder for support. "Shannon, what are you doing here?"

"Um, I think I'm in love and you're the all-knowing God in this subject.. Please help me."

"Okay, take a seat." I hobbled over to the leather couch as he took a seat on the one across from me. "First off, you give me some background information and I'll ask you a few questions, then we determine how hard you've fallen."

"Okay." He took his hat off and ran a hand through his messy blond hair. "Well, she's amazing. She's thoughtful, down-to-earth, funny, gorgeous and just, perfect."

"Uh-huh." I nodded, chewing on the cap of my pen as I uncapped it and readied myself for note-taking. "Um, first question. Place of birth?"

"Why is that important?"

"First person to answer that correctly, congrats Shanno." I replied, writing down his answer. "Okay, favorite color?"

"Onyx and emerald."

"What? Don't you mean black and green?"

"No, onyx and emerald, she uses bigger terms for things." He answered, looking embarrassed.

"Okay. So, boyfriend or not?"

"Yes, she has a boyfriend. He's not right for her, though. He's just, no. She needs someone who's like her, and he's just not." Shannon sighed.

"Wonderful, good job." I quickly wrote it down. "Now, I'm going to give you a couple scenarios. So, she's upset, she's crying. What do you do?"

"Well, I let her know that she's not alone, that someone is there for her. That I'm there for her and that I'm not going anywhere. I tell her that it's okay to cry and then I'd just hold her until she was better."

"Fine. You're going for a walk, and you come across a not busy street. As you cross, she drops something, but a car is speeding towards you, what do you do?"

"Push her out of the way, my first instinct is to make sure she's safe, then worry about me."

"Wow, um, who's her boyfriend?" I asked, shocked by my results.

"John Cena." He mumbled.

"Oh my God, I-Isabella?"

"Yes!" Shannon exclaimed. "So, what's the results?"

"Dude, you've fallen so hard. You know I'm not going to help you break them up." I replied.

"I don't want you to, I just want her to be happy and if she's happy with him, than that's okay. I-I just can't stop thinking about her." The door opened and Isabella poked her head in.

"Sorry, guys. Um, Shan and I need to go, storyline stuff." Isabella smiled and Shannon nodded, avoiding eye contact with the Diva. He stood, shook my hand and left with her.

(Isabella POV)

"So, why were you talking to Adam?" I asked, tossing my hair over my shoulder.

"I needed…advice." He replied. "So, what's up with our storyline."

"Um, nothing, I just wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"John. You don't like him very much, do you?" I questioned. Shannon shook his head. "Shaking head as in 'no, I don't like him' or shaking head in 'yes, he's a good guy'?"

"He's okay, I guess. He has had way to many girlfriends for the common man, but that doesn't define him as of now. You may change him, he seems like a better guy." He smiled.

"Good to know." I smiled back.

"Isabella, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." I replied, turning to face him.

"I was thinking, and I was wondering if, maybe we could…try to be friends?" He was still smiling. "I think it would improve our work ethic and stuff. And, to be honest, I was getting tired of all the fighting. It just wasn't worth it, you know?"

"Yeah, that would be nice." I nodded and hugged him. "Thanks, Shan. You've come through for me twice this week, that means a lot to a woman. Any woman would be lucky to date you." Breathing in, I smelled an intoxicating scent. Pulling back, I raised an eyebrow. "Are you wearing cologne?"

"No." He chuckled.

"Aftershave?"

"Nope."

"Hmm. Lotion, shampoo, conditioner? No, wait, laundry detergent, fabric softener?"

"No, no, no, no and no. Just me."

"You smell good." I admitted. "Well, I got to go, Diva Swimsuit competition. You have to meet me backstage, so don't forget." I left down the hall, waving to him.

"Friends? I didn't know he knew the meaning with you."

"Mickie, good luck out there, I gotta face you, so I'll see you out there."

"Wait, did someone drop?"

"Yeah, Alicia, she thinks I'm going to turn on the team because she's on there."

"She's afraid of you." Mickie smiled as she got up. "We're up." I followed her out to the gorilla, where Shannon was also waiting. I was wearing a black bikini, the bottom having a skull&crossbones shape cut out of the hip and outlined in lime green. My hair, loose and flowing over my shoulders. Shannon gave me a thumbs up before Kelly's music hit. He frowned as the blond walked in front of him, giving him what she defined as a 'sexy' pout. Rolling his eyes, he waited for Maryse's music to hit.

"Ready, Izzy?" The French-Canadian asked. I was supposed to be heel, in order to work my feud with Kelly.

"Yeah."

"They love you either way. You make a badass heel." Rosa smiled.

"I know. Just a little worried, you saw how they treated Matt."

"Matt also 'betrayed' his brother. It's different with you. Shh, we're on." Maryse smiled before her music struck and we strode out to the ring. The fans gave mixed chants, which was fine by me.

I started out the match, locking up with Gail and throwing her into the corner. Instantly, she tagged Kelly in. Smirking, I stared the blond down for a second before she Irish whipped me into the ropes. Springing back, I clotheslined her and did a quick springboard moonsault while she was down. Going for the pin, I got a 2-count. Grabbing her wrist, I Irish whipped her into her own corner, so she tagged Mickie in. Dodging out of Mickie's way, I tagged Maryse in, who got the victory soon after.

In the backstage area, the other two walked off, and left me with Shannon. "You did great out there."

"Thanks." I smiled.

"No problem. So, I'll see you after the show, right?" He asked, pulling me close to him as he put his hands on my hips.

"Of course." I giggled and kissed him lightly on the lips. He tried to go in for another, more deeper kiss, but I pulled away. "I gotta get going. Bye." I waved before heading down the hallway, feeling Shannon staring at me as I left.

"Cut! Great job, guys!" A stagehand yelled and Shannon ran to catch up to me.

"Yeah, tease." He joked.

"It's my job." I replied. "So, are we really going out after the show?"

"I don't know, honestly. Do you feel like being the designated driver?"

"I've gotten pretty good at it, but John and I are going out for dinner. I'm sure he wouldn't mind you tagging along."

"Isabella, I couldn't ruin your date."

"Nonsense, you wouldn't ruin it." I chuckled.

"He hates me." He stated, giving another reason.

"Well, then you should spend some guy time together. Go golfing or something." I suggested. Speaking of John, he had appeared just as I had said that.

"Golfing?" They both asked at the same time.

"Fine, not golfing. Do whatever guys do. Play video games, play pool, whatever." I shrugged as, instead of changing my top, pulled a shirt over it instead. We had moved into John's locker room, where my bag sat. I grabbed my jeans and went into the small shower area to change that. Coming back out, the two were still standing. "So, John, where are we going?"

"Yeah, that's what I was getting at. I have something else to do, it's important, so I can't do anything tonight. Sorry, babe." He kissed my cheek apologetically. "Have dinner with Shannon." He smiled before leaving.

"Isabella, c'mon, I'll take you for pizza." Shannon looked slightly annoyed by John's absence and as he led me to his rental car, we were silent. He didn't tell me where he was taking me.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." He said, pulling into a Domino's. We went inside, where the cashier person said the pizza was 'on the house'. I waited at one of the small tables while he ordered. He sat down across from me moments later. "Yeah, this was a little impromptu, but-"

"It's fine, Shannon. John probably would've taken me to a fancy restaurant." I sighed.

"Don't worry about, John. He's been busy, lately." Shannon replied. "Just, forget about him for a night and chill." Twenty minutes passed before we got the pizza, Shannon then drove to a nearby beach.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"Just, follow me. I remember a while ago when we were in this town and we went to the beach, this beach. It's a pretty good one, if I do say so myself." Shannon led me to a picnic table where he set the box down and sat down. We started eating and talking about what was new and all sorts of pointless stuff. He laughed at something I said and I couldn't help but smile.

Shannon was more than just a good-looking guy. He had things that were important to him, and he would go to any lengths for them. His green eyes sparkled as we continued our conversation. In so many ways he was different than John, more assertive than John, when he needed to be, otherwise, Shannon was well tempered. Looking at Shannon again, I paused. Something was different now.

Something was drawing me to him, making me imagine how life could be with him. No, no I couldn't think about that. I wouldn't think about that. Then the memories of him kissing me flooded into my head. His lips were softer than John's, is that bad to think? Of course, it is Isabella. Get a hold of yourself. His dazzling green eyes softer, yet more intense than John's blue ones. Good God, this was getting a little out of hand.

"Isabella? You've been staring at me for a good ten minutes, is something wrong?" His sweet southern accent bringing a certain special something that made him all the more attractive. We had both stood and put the empty pizza box into the recycling bin and were now on our way back to the hotel.

"No, not at all." I stated, breaking my gaze. A few minutes of more silence until we were at the hotel and right in front of our door.

"Ladies first." He grinned and let me in before following me. Turning to face me, he let out a cry of surprise as I backed him up against the wall. "Um, Isabella?"

"Thank you, Shannon." I smiled and leaned up. He was expecting me to kiss his cheek, and both of his eyebrows raised when I kissed his lips. Putting my hands on his neck, I deepened the kiss, coming to my senses when he let out a low moan. Pulling away, I ran a hand through my hair. "I'm so sorry, Shan. Really, I don't know what came over me. I-I-"

"Don't worry about it, it's, um, okay. I won't tell John, if that's what you're worried about. I guess I should get to bed, now. Good night." He stated, flustered as well and slightly embarrassed. He knew we probably wouldn't talk for the rest of the night.

Something's wrong, I can't be falling in love with Shannon. This entire day must've been a dream. No, I'm quite sure it was real. It was too good to be false. My heart was racing. I liked John, but I may or may not have feelings for Shannon. But it's impossible for me to fall in love with Shannon. Isn't it?

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**There you go, I hope you enjoyed. Um, there's another poll in my profile, go check it out. Review, please. Thank you.**


	11. Nothing but the Truth

**Yay, another chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed and have been reviewing, I really appreciate it. Anyway, you know the deal. I own nothing except Harmony, Isabella and the plot. Enjoy and please review.**

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Chapter Eleven: Nothing but the Truth

(Shannon POV)

Isabella danced to the music radiating from the car and I couldn't help but chuckle. She looked at me weirdly. "What?"

"Nothing. Hey, John and I are going out for lunch later, you know, to get to know each other." I replied. Her green eyes lit up.

"Really? Oh, thank you Shannon. Maybe you two will get along." She laughed a little and looked at me from the passenger seat. "So, I guess that means you're dropping me off now." We were at the front of the hotel and John was sitting on a bench, wearing a hoodie and hat with the hood pulled over the hat. A pair of sunglasses were perched on his face as he jammed to his Ipod. I stopped the car and she hopped out before running into John's open arms.

How she could still love him was well beyond me. He had stood her up countless times, but she was always still right there, in his arms. Isabella let go of John and followed him to the car door as he hopped in and buckled his seatbelt. Standing on the little footstep to get inside, she kissed John's cheek. "Behave, boys." She smiled playfully. "And have a nice day."

Isabella disappeared inside the hotel and I drove off to the café we chose. I sat across from him in a more secluded booth. We ordered and spent the first few minutes just looking around. "So, this place is cozy." John spoke.

"I guess." I murmured. "So, anything new?"

"Yeah, I need to tell you something." John looked at me sternly. "You know Isabella, right?"

"Um, yeah." I replied as our orders came.

"Well, she thinks I love her, but I don't." He laughed. "I'm playing her and she has no clue. It'll be hilarious. I'm going to get her into bed and then break it off."

My eyes narrowed.

"But, you can't say anything, okay?" He suddenly got serious again. My blood boiled as I looked at the vile man sitting across from me. How anyone could do that to somebody. He didn't know he'd have to marry her, which meant…God no. I wouldn't let him. My mouth wanted to scream that I would tell her, but instead I just nodded.

"I need to go." I replied and paid before leaving quickly and driving back to the hotel. Putting the car in park, I went into the lobby and ran up the stairs. Finding my door, I knocked furiously. A female voice scoffed.

"Hold on a minute!" The door opened, revealing Isabella in a black bikini. "Yes, Shannon? I thought you went out with John."

"Something came up." I replied. "Um, where are you going?"

"The pool, wanna come?" She asked as John appeared in the doorway and welcomed himself in. Why she keeps giving him extra keys, I had no idea, but it was annoying how he popped up at unnecessary moments. Frustrated, I ran a hand over my face. Skipping over to him, she kissed him. "Hey, what happened between you and Shan?"

"Nothing, something just came up." He shrugged. "Sorry."

"It's okay, so anybody want to come to the pool with me? It'll be fun." She smiled.

"You can make anything fun." He slyly smirked and kissed her forehead.

"Aww, you're so sweet."

Silently, with my back turned to them, I mocked their words, knowing John's were false. Turning, I cracked a smile…for her, if anything. "I have to go." I sighed and got up, leaving their little meeting as soon as possible. I couldn't stand her being so wrapped up in him, when she didn't even know that he meant none of his words.

A tap on my shoulder made me spin around. John stood there, a smirk broadened over his face. "Tell anyone, and I'll kill you." He gritted before pulling me into a quick, one-armed hug before spinning around. Now I knew why he suddenly changed his mood. Isabella stood a few feet away, a towel in one arm. She smiled at our closeness.

"That's how I like it, you two, enjoying each other's company. Gotta go, bye boys." She waved and headed for the stairs. When she was out of sight, he returned to his seriousness.

"Ruin this, and I'll ruin you." He threatened before walking away. There was only one problem, and I had confirmed it. I was indeed in love with Isabella Smith. Yes, I admit to myself, I lover her. She loves him. He, most definitely doesn't love her back, though. Stumbling down the hall, not paying much attention to where I was going, I passed a poster for Night of Champions, which only made me realize that today was the twentieth. Smirking, I thought about it.

Isabella's birthday was tomorrow and I was without a gift. Cursing myself, I ran to the elevator and climbed in when the doors opened. Dashing through the lobby and into the parking lot, I passed by the door to the pool, where Isabella and John were. She waved and I nodded in acknowledgement. From behind me, I could hear her mutter. "I wonder why he's so riled up." Ignoring it, I remembered my mission.

Driving to the nearest mall, I was out of breath and practically hyperventilating as I leaned over the side of the escalator. What would she want? Great, I spent an hour getting here and I have no idea what to get her. How hard could it be? A hat, nope. Music? No, that girl has way too much music right now, as it is. Giving her any more would be hazardous to everyone's eardrums.

Then, it hit me. I would give her a tattoo or a piercing or whatever she wanted at my shop…for free. That's what being the boss gives you, that kind of power. She had always wanted a tattoo and I just happened to be able to get it for her. Take that and eat it with cheese, Cena! Great, now that I got that figured out, there was one more problem…now I was in a crowded mall and there was a line for the escalator.

After waiting for at least an hour. I figured 'screw it' and took the stairs to the parking garage. Nearly jumping into the front seat, I made my way to the hotel as quickly as possible without breaking the law and made it into my hotel room just as Isabella came out of the bathroom. She was dressed and ready to go to the arena. Looking at my watch, I realized I was gone for longer than I had thought. Raw would be starting soon, and they were needed. By my guessing, John had already left. Figures.

"Hey, Shanno. Where've you been, stranger?" She joked.

"Running an errand." I huffed and followed her to the car.

"Like what, seeing how fast you can get your heart rate?" She joked and gently smacked my chest. Feigning injury, I pouted at her.

"Well then, I take back your birthday gift." I laughed.

"Shannon, you didn't have to get me anything, besides it's tomorrow." Isabella tried to fake like she wasn't interested, but soon she was at my side. "So, what did you get me?"

"You'll find out tomorrow." I laughed again.

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(Still Shannon POV)

I woke up before Isabella and made a phone call. "Hey, is it all set up for tonight?"

"Yeah." Jeff replied. "Are you going to make a scene?"

"I promise, it'll be a good scene." I said.

"Whatever, see you then, Shan." I hung up after Jeff did and made another phone call.

"Hey Shane, Chad?"

"Yeah, Shannon." The two asked me, they were probably busy running the shop.

"Well, for Isabella's birthday, I'm going to give her a tattoo or piercing or free and I just wanted to let you know so y'all don't freak out." I replied.

"Since when do we freak out?"

"Chad, you and Shane screamed and jumped on the couch because a little spider was on the floor." I stated.

"For your information, it was freaking huge! See you, boss." Shane put as much spite into the word boss as possible and hung up. Isabella woke up just then and smiled.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Um, checking up on the shop." I replied. It wasn't the complete truth, but it was 95% on the mark. "Hey, Happy Birthday, Izzy. The big 3-0." I smiled at her, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Thanks Shannon." She nodded as the door busted open and Shane Helms, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Jay and Adam entered. Shane held a tray of food, her favorite breakfasts, which basically was Lucky Charms, a glass of orange juice and a banana nut muffin. The muffin had a single black candle sticking out. Matt held out a big box, more appropriately…a huge box. "I can't enjoy my breakfast first?" She cocked an eyebrow at the guys.

"Nope." Adam retorted, resting on his crutches. "Open it." He whined.

Gingerly, she did, revealing a box full of other stuff, wrapped neatly, or messily, depended on who had wrapped it. As she plucked a rainbow covered gift, she studied the faces. "The card first, silly." Jay stated as he reached in and held out an envelope. Carefully she opened it and read it aloud.

"Happiness is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel it's warmth." She raised her eyebrows as she chuckled and opened it to read the inside. "Happy B-day, Shorty. We hope you enjoy, don't do anything stupid and remember, Girlie, if ya got it…flaunt it. We all know you got it, the question is…are ya willin' to flaunt it? Signed, Jay and Adam, with love." She cooed at the two smirking Canadians. "Aww, wait, now here's the card's little inscription: It's your birthday, let your happiness show." Rolling her eyes, she shuffled out of bed and hugged each of the two, and kissed them both on the cheek.

"Your welcome. Now read ours." The other three said in unison as they thrust a card into her hands. As she opened it, the instrumental of My Little Sunshine floated out. As she read it, she kept laughing.

"Friendship and duct tape have very common qualities that they share with the Force. They all have light sides, they all have dark sides, and they all hold the world together. The light side to being friends with you is that you're smart, and pretty, and just an awesome person. The dark side is that sometimes, you're moody, and dark, and scary, and you can scare the crap out of us. But, no matter what, our friendship will always be holding my world together. Signed, The Core Group (Minus Shannon)." Her face scrunched up in confusion.

"What, he wasn't with us." Jeff reasoned, but urged her to open her gifts. A bunch of CD's from Adam and Jay, which got them another hug and kiss on the cheek, a bunch of gag gifts from her hometown friends, and a keychain with a key attached.

"What's this?" She asked.

"It's from all of us. Look outside." Shane ushered her to the balcony, which she stepped out on and we somehow managed to get all seven of us on the wooden platform. Looking down, she instantly spotted the shiny, new, black and chrome motorcycle that had PDISNC written on the license plate.

"Is that mine?"

"Yep, we all pitched in." Adam chuckled at her reaction as we moved back into the main room. Skipping around, she hugged everybody again and kissed them all on the cheek again, except me. Sighing, I shoved my hands into my jeans pockets and solemnly looked at the ground.

"Yesterday, you said you had something for me." She started, but I cut her off.

"Yeah, had they told me they were buying you a vehicle, I would've pitched in, but they didn't. So, I thought of a gift on my own. Now, it may not be as shocking as a vehicle, but I'm getting you an appointment for a tattoo done at Gas Chamber Ink. For free, whenever, wherever, you want it." I shrugged as her jaw dropped and she hugged me, along with giving me a quick peck. "Thank you."

"Um, Isabella?"

"I know, you got a little bit more." She sat back down . "Can I eat now?"

"One second." Shane lit the candle on the muffin and we started singing, while she sat dumfounded.

"Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Shorrrrtttttiiiiieeee! Happy B-Day to you? How old are you?" Matt, Jeff, Shane, and I sang.

"Dude, don't bring up age with women, they may get offended." Adam cut in.

"Too bad, too bad." We sang back.

"Dude, she'll kick your ass!" Jay replied.

"Aw shit, aw shit. Anyway!" Jeff smirked as we all joined in again. "What's your boyfriend's first name?"

"Wait a minute, we already know her boyfriend's name." Matt whispered.

"Go along with the song." Jeff elbowed his brother as he sang.

"Happy birthday to you!" We shouted. Isabella smiled again and blew out the candle before tugging it out.

""Um, yeah, sorry about the cereal, it took longer than expected." Shane gestured to the soggy cereal. Isabella shrugged as she ate her muffin.

"It's okay, I love it anyway."

"We'll meet you downstairs in the lobby." Adam hugged her again before leading the entourage of Superstars out of the room.

"I'll wait downstairs too." I nodded before leaving. Once I got into the elevator, the guys greeted me.

"So, Shannon, when were you going to tell us you got her a tattoo pass?"

"What? Well, you wouldn't tell me what you were getting her, so this was a little, impromptu, last second gift." I explained.

"Mmm-hmmm. Well played, though." Shane laughed. We waited for a few minutes before Isabella came down the stairs, purse slung over her shoulder, hair tied back in a ponytail and wearing jeans and a t-shirt, being and simple as it could get. Yet, she didn't look plain. Shane went up and hugged her again.

"Okay, testosterone overload." She giggled as we all enveloped her in a group hug. Backing up, we walked outside and looked at the motorcycle. Skipping towards it, she straddled the seat and looked over. "So? How do I look on it?"

"It's very fitting." Matt laughed. "Hey we gotta go, work." He explained to the short Diva who hugged her friends goodbye, except for Adam, who wasn't leaving. "Wow, it's almost noon, you slept in." He teased Isabella.

"We got Shan to shut off your alarm." Jeff explained, "Otherwise, you would've heard the cycle and the surprise would've been ruined." I knew he was lying, to make it seem I had maybe the tiniest part in this. Ignoring it, I shrugged when she looked at me and the guys left. Adam hobbled over to stand by us.

"Shanny, will you come with me to try out my birthday gift?" She pouted. I looked at Adam, who shrugged. Nodding, I smiled as she pulled on one of the two helmets and climbed on. Moving on behind her, I put my arms around her waist as she kicked up the stand and put it into gear before shooting off.

"Having fun?" I asked her over her shoulder?

"Yep, this is awesome." Her laugh sent shivers down my spine as I felt a weird feeling settling into my gut. "Time to go back." Isabella chuckled again as she took the route back to the hotel As we pulled in next to my rental, she turned off the ignition and kicked the stand down before chaining the bike to a metal pole. Tucking the keys into her purse, she turned to me. "Ready to go to the arena, it's getting to be time for the show, a.k.a, time to go."

"Isabella, something's been bothering me."

"What is it?" She asked, innocently.

As I was about to say something about John not liking her, I instead said. "Has John contacted you at all, today?" Her face fell as she shook her head.

"So, that's why I'm going to surprise him, tonight." I had no idea how her smile could get any bigger and it made me smile as she hopped into the passenger seat. I got in and drove to the arena, where she practically hit the ground running as she left the vehicle. The feeling in my stomach grew and I sighed deeply.

(Isabella POV)

I ran through the halls, coming to John's locker room. Shannon had gotten lost trying to follow me and instead of knocking, I just opened the door, expecting John to be there. The room was empty, sighing, I turned around to see Shannon, out of breath. "Don't run off on me, Isabella, please. Is he here?"

"No." I frowned and shut the door. I spotted Maryse sitting on an equipment box, talking to Mike. Coming up tot hem, I greeted them. "Hey, Mike, Maryse, how are you guys?"

"Good, how are you, birthday girl?" Mike asked. "I've been waiting for you, this is from John and I." He handed me a box containing a necklace with my birthstone, a ruby and onyx dangling from a silver chain with earrings to match.

"Cena?"

"No, JoMo." He replied to Shannon. "Did John get you anything yet?"

"Not yet. I hope he did though." She chuckled nervously. "Have you seen him?"

"Yeah, um, I think he's in the Diva's Locker Room." Maryse replied.

"What's he doing there?"

"Said he was dropping something off." Maryse added.

"Maybe it's my gift." I smiled again, before darting off in the direction of the desired locker room, Shannon trailing behind me.

As I approached the door, I swung it open, a smile on my face. "John?" My jaw dropped as Shannon came behind me.

"Isabella, please-." He stopped himself as he saw what was happening. John was shirtless, as he usually was. What got me was that he was with another Diva, a certain blond diva, who was both topless and braless. John was groping her as he made out with her and she was reaching for his belt. "What the hell?" He whispered.

John finally noticed me and Shannon and broke his kiss with the blond, who moved to stand beside him as she grabbed his shirt and pulled it over her head. "Isabella?" I pushed into the locker room and Shannon followed. "I need to tell you something."

"Oh, yeah I guess you really do! But, I'm going to say something first. What the hell is this? I come here to surprise you, only to find you swapping spit, and about to swap something else with Kelly Kelly. First, you start abandoning me for work, then you forget it's my birthday today, and to put the cherry on top, you cheat on me. How long as this been going on for?"

"Relax! First of all, you're not really worth bringing to work, so I leave you at wherever you were at the moment. Secondly, I don't care if it is or isn't your birthday. Thirdly, yes I was about to have sex with this wonderful, gorgeous woman. Lastly, this had been going on for a year." John yelled at her. I scoffed.

"So, you've been cheating on her?"

"You are such an idiot." John frowned at me. "No, while she was playing Shannon, I was working playing you. Then we got together and soon after, they broke up. She succeeded and so did I. Granted, it was a bit earlier than we had wanted. Kelly and I posed a breakup and then we got to work. Honestly, the look on your face was priceless." John smirked at me, and I stepped forward.

"You know, if you were half the woman I was, maybe he'd actually want to be with you. Maybe any man would want to be with you." Kelly nodded as if it was the most logical thing in the world. I felt Shannon step up behind me.

"Isabella, they're not worth it." He stated.

"Oh please, you knew about it!" Kelly and John yelled at the same time. Spinning around, I glared at the solemn looking man.

"Shannon?"

"Listen, I found out that Kelly was playing me a little while before the Fourth of July and that it was with someone on the roster. I forgot about it for a while. Then yesterday, John told me that he was playing you and that I couldn't tell anyone. Also, he told me that he'd tear me apart if I got close to you." He explained.

"So were you pretending to give a damn about me, too? You were trying to be my friend so

I would have a fool made out of me." I accused. Shannon looked shocked.

"No, I wouldn't do that." He stammered out.

"Sure you wouldn't. Burn in hell, all three of you!" I yelled, blinking away tears as I slammed the door behind me, not caring that Shannon burst out a few minutes later, screaming at me to listen to him. Tears blurred my eyes as I ran to catering. The lights suddenly went on and a bunch of Superstars and Divas jumped out.

"Surprise!" They took one look at my face and their expressions changed. A banner with Happy Birthday Izzy was strung across the room. Ashley was even there, smiling until I came in.

"I'm sorry, I-I just. Sorry." I turned around and shakily walked outside. Ashley followed me.

"He did it to me, too, sweetie. Hey, I'll drive you back to the hotel." She offered and I didn't object. "Hey, I know how you feel, girl. I felt that way too."

"I was going to break up with him anyway because I fell in love with someone else." I frowned and looked at her. Glancing at me, she asked.

"Who?"

"Shannon." I replied, before focusing my eyes on the passing scenery.

* * *

**So there it is, the new chapter. I hope you enjoyed and remember to vote. It's a bit longer than most chapters, but I'm really happy with it. Review, please.**


	12. Nightmarish Birthdays

**So, thank you to all those who both reviewed and voted. Um, here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy. Shannon's birthday was Monday, so Hapy Birthday to him.**

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Chapter Twelve: Nightmarish Birthdays

(Isabella POV)

Grumbling, I sighed and stared out the car window. Harmony was driving with Maria , Melina, Ashley, and Natalya in the backseat. "I don't want to go."

"Girl, just because you keep saying it doesn't mean it ain't gonna happen. Listen, sweetie, we feel for you. Truly, he's an ass. I saw three of my best friends go through it." Melina smiled apologetically.

"How did you get through it, Ash?" I asked.

"Time, friends, ice cream and beer." Ashley replied, sweeping the blond fringe that fell into her eyes away.

"I mean, I feel so…gullible…worthless, and cheap. I mean I should've seen the signs, he wasn't spending any time with me at all. I've spent more time with Shannon than I have with John since John and I got together. Shannon was there, John wasn't. Even with the elevator." Frowning, I played with a lock of my hair. "To top it off, I find out on my birthday, and I get transferred to Smackdown, with Shannon."

"Hey, at least your with us." Harmony tried to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, Smackdown's own WWE Divas." Natalya smirked. "So, what did you get for your birthday?"

"A bike from the boys and a free tattoo/piercing from Shannon."

They all gasped. "Like, a motorcycle bike?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"You know, Matt didn't even tell me about the bike." Melina smiled. "Besides, did you get what we got you?"

"Yeah, I'm wearing them now." I held up my hands, letting them all see the black fingerless gloves with the shape of a skull cut out from the back. They had also gotten me new boots and accessories. "It's Shannon's birthday today."

"Did you get him anything?" Harmony asked.

"No, not yet."

"The addition of 'yet' implies that you are indeed planning on getting him something." Mel replied.

"You know, he didn't have anything to do with this." Ashley replied.

Frowning, I rested my face in my palm. "I know."

* * *

We got to the arena right on time, and as I got out of the rental and retrieved my suitcase from the trunk, I studied the arena door. "How will this effect your match with Kelly at SummerSlam?"

"I don't know, Ria." I replied as Harmony locked the rental and led us into the arena. We passed numerous coworkers, all of which gave us nods or smiles, even the occasional scowl. That is until we ran into Jeff.

His shocked expression melted into a broad smile as he scooped me up into a hug. "I haven't seen you in so long, girl, how are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess." I stated as I saw Shannon standing next to the spot Jeff just was.

"Good, are you sure you don't want me to do something, bribe someone of higher power to pull some strings? I'm sure your good friend Taker would enjoy to rip him to shreds."

"Jeff, I'll be fine. I can't have somebody trying to fix things for me, 24/7, okay? Sooner or later it'll all blow over, I'll come out fine, fall in love again, and hopefully not get my heart broken." He shrugged.

"Okay, just promise me that you'll find someone you'll fall in love with."

"I did love him." I sighed. Jeff glanced at Shannon before tilting my chin up to face him.

"Girlie, you know I've known you for years, seen your good and bad, you're like the sister Matt and I never had. I know when you're in love, and trust me, you're in love, but it's not with John. It never has been with John."

"Jeff, I have to go." I looked away as he dropped his hand, put it on my shoulder.

"Before you do, just take my advice. Try looking a little bit closer to home." Smiling, he ruffled my hair and started down the hall.

"Before you go, Congrats on the title." I called after him. He raised an arm in acknowledgement, not even looking at me, as he continued. The title slung over his shoulder, glinting under the florescent lights as he walked away. "God, it's great to see him shine again."

"Amen to that, sista." Shannon cracked a smile at me. "I'm sorry." His smile faltered.

"For?"

"For whatever it is you think I did. I just don't want you hating me again."

"Shan, it's been a week since I found out, and I'm still trying figure this whole thing out." I replied. He looked down, nudging the dirt with his boot. He was wearing his silver and blue wresting pants, and he ran a hand through his hair.

"I didn't have anything to do with it." He protested his innocence. I fiddled with the hem of my shirt.

"At this point, that's the only thing I'm absolutely sure of." I replied before walking away.

* * *

(Shannon POV)

It was after I had won my match, after Isabella had won hers and we were in a hallway, ready for another promo.

"So, we're on Smackdown, now." She sighed. "A new opportunity to beat new people, maybe gain a title belt or two."

"Yeah." I replied, knowing this was going to get screwed up. I couldn't focus on what she was saying, just on her mouth. The perfect lips slick with lipgloss, so soft and full. So many times I've kissed those lips; so many times without permission. Isabella stepped closer , her face now inches away from mine.

I could smell it. Strawberry-Kiwi. It was always strawberry-kiwi, the sweet fruit mixture that the short woman loved so much. I'd give anything to be even close to strawberry-kiwi. If she loved me as much as strawberry-kiwi, I could die a happy man. My heartbeat sped up a bit, glancing down, realizing what she was wearing. A low scoop-neck navy blue top with a silver and navy blue plaid, pleated skirt that barely hit mid-thigh. Knee-high black boots adorned her legs, they gave her maybe three inches of extra height, which was probably why she wore them.

A silver chain hung from her neck, a sapphire pendant hanging from the chain. I recognized it as the one she wore on the Fourth of July, when she was wearing that dress, when she hugged me and reassured me. When I told her she looked pretty. Even though I said it meant nothing, it only added to the secret affection I have for her.

She was running a hand over my chest, wearing the new gloves she got from her female friends. Which reminded me of her birthday, which reminds me, today is my birthday. Can somebody actually forget their own birthday? See, she's hypnotic. Her eyes are staring into me, the soft pine green orbs that seem to smile sweetly at me as she bats her long eyelashes.

"Congrats on your win tonight." She finally says. "I was watching."

"Congrats on yours too, so you're heading for the Women's Championship?" I manage to say without stumbling, like I knew I would've done.

"Mmm-hmm." She purred, kissing my cheek. "I gotta go, bye, Shanny." She replied as she turned the corner.

"And cut! Great job, you two. The fans loved it!" The stagehand smiled and I nodded as Isabella came back.

"So, what were you thinking during that, long pause?"

"Nothing." Liar. "Just the weather. It's supposed to rain tonight."

"Really? Anyway, at the local café, that's where your birthday get together is, right?"

"Yeah, you coming?"

"I'm not quite sure, I've been getting some heat from a couple of girls, so I'm not so sure I want to hang around them. Besides, I need some alone time. I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry, I' want to hide too. Do you want someone to take care of it?"

"No, I'll handle it on my own."

"Well what are they saying?" I asked.

"That I'm a slut and Cena deserved better anyway."

"Fangirls?"

"Yeah, it's almost as bad as Jeff and Beth. In only a week, I've gotten more hate mail, more paparazzi wanting to know why John and I aren't together anymore. Apparently, Kelly got to them first and told them the story. They played me as a fool and that's why I moved to Smackdown, that I'll never amount to anything because I'm a loser and couldn't keep my cool when I first saw them together a week ago. It's like I got turned into Brittney Spears or something."

I led her to the guy's locker room, where I led her to a shower way back and drew the curtain. "Darlin', you're the farthest thing from Brittney. One, you haven't flashed anybody yet. Two, you haven't been married to two assholes. Three, you could do so much better. Four, just address it in a professional manner, I'll help."

"Shannon, you're going to be late for your party."

"Just, please, for me, go and get some rest." I put a hand on her shoulder and she smiled and hugged me.

"Okay." She skipped out and I watched her leave, a small smile setting on my lips as I got into the regular locker room part.

"Oh my God, you've fallen for her." John Morrison stated. Thank God he was the only one there.

"I know." There was no trying to deny it now.

"How is she?"

"Haters."

"Yeah, they suck, don't they. Do you know how many times I've been called a man-whore?"

"No."

"More than necessary. I mean, Mel was the last serious girlfriend I had, and since them I've only had three. Is that enough to be called a man-whore?"

"John, settle down. " I replied.

"You're late for your own party, nice." John laughed, already dressed in street clothes. "Later, dude."

"Later." I waved and changed.

* * *

So far, the party was great, albeit boring at parts. Sure, the café/bar thing was great. All my coworker friends were here, except Isabella. I was standing by the window, drinking a Pepsi. Staring out the window, I watched the rain pour in buckets down, and across the street, I saw a shadow, staring back at me.

It didn't even take me four seconds to recognize the short stature, and even through the rain, I could faintly see the outfit the person was wearing. Short skirt, long boots, torn shirt, wait…torn shirt? No coat, just staring for a few seconds before they realized that I had spotted them, and continued down the sidewalk. Hurriedly, I set down my bottle, threw on my jacket and ran out the door, nearly diving into my truck and whipping out of the parking lot so fast, it got whiplash.

Only a few, short minutes later, I had caught up with the figure and slowed the truck to match her pace. Winding down the window, I yelled out. "Isabella!"

She responded to her name, turning to face me. "What?" She was frustrated, and I could see her make up running down her face. Her black locks darkened by dampness and stuck to her face, shoulder, neck and back. Putting her hands on her hips, she bit her lip.

"Get in."

"No."

"Izzy, I'm serious, get in."

"No." She replied, a little bit louder this time. "Go back, Shannon, it's your party."

"Yeah, I sat around, opened a few presents, said my thank yous. You, on the other hand, need to get in this car, right now." I demanded, still not raising my voice.

"Why?"

"Because, you need to get someplace dry, please, get in." I pleaded and she sighed, but approached the car anyway. Opening the door, she rung out her hair over the side walk, along with what little of her skirt she could grasp. Then I realized she was shaking and crying. "What happened to you?" I softly asked, gazing in disgust at her ripped skirt and practically no shirt.

"Well, I felt bad for not getting you anything, so I tried to get you concert tickets. Well, this guy had them and he would only let me have them if I went on a date with him. It was only one measly little date, right? What harm could possibly be done. We aren't even to dinner yet and he starts feeling me up, copping a feel. I tried to get away, and I did, with hardly any of my outfit intact. Here." She pulled a box out of nowhere and shoved it into my hands. Pulling into the hotel, I pulled her in close to me and got into the lobby.

Ignoring the stares of everyone, I started up the stairs. In one, swift motion, I pulled Isabella into my arms and carried her bridal style. "Shannon."

"Just let me, okay." Almost crying myself. When we got inside the room, I let her change into sweatpants and a t-shirt before we sat on the one bed. Pulling the box from my pocket, I opened it. Yep, two tickets to a Pearl Jam concert, along with all sorts of metal bands I listened to. Picking them up, I ran a finger over them before tearing them.

"Shannon! After everything I went through to get those?"

"It was just a stupid concert with stupid bands, playing stupid music. Yeah, so what if I love them, they're not worth your safety. Do you understand what could've happened to you?"

"Yeah, Shannon, I know. I'm sorry I have bad judgment. They guy was like 300 lbs, I can't fight that off." She raised her voice slightly as tears welled up in her eyes.

I frowned and pulled her into a tight hug. "Baby, please don't cry."

"What did you just call me?"

"Never mind, just don't cry." I whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I don't know what I would do if I found out you got raped trying to get me a present."

"It's just that you gave me such a wonderful gift, I tied to do the same for you." She replied.

"Yeah, but you just had a bad experience, you didn't need this."

"Yes, I did. Without what just happened, I wouldn't be having such a beautiful moment with you right now, I didn't expect to see you tonight, not until later anyway. I just ran from there as fast as possible and found where you guys were. I wanted to go inside, in case he was following me, but you looked so happy, I couldn't ruin the moment."

"And because a room full of men who's job it is to beat the living hell out of each other would be the worst thing to tell this to? Because those men just happen to be fond of you, and would kill that scum who tried to touch you."

"That too."

"I'll kill him for you, both him and Cena." I stated.

"Shan, that's the thing. See here, it wasn't just some stranger who tried to rape me…it was Cena."

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**There it is, I hope you enjoyed it. So anyway, Happy Birthday Shannon, I hope your real one turned out a lot better than this one. Review, please.**


	13. Leaving

**So here's the next chapter for A Thick Line; remember I only own the OCs and the plot. Enjoy! Thanks for reviewing and please review this chapter.**

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Chapter Thirteen: Leaving

(Shannon POV)

I drove her to North Carolina the next morning. First thing in the morning, I packed for both of us and we left the hotel, of course I got Vince's permission before leaving for N.C. Isabella didn't get a wink of sleep, just kept staring out the window at the scenery. "So, what's on your mind?" I asked, wanting to hear her voice for the first time since she told me it was Cena, and because she needed to talk about it.

"Nothing." She replied. Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair. The gorgeous black locks that, despite rumors, were 100% natural, sleek, and wavy. "I-I just keep thinking that this is my fault. I mean, I'm gullible, stupid, naïve, unattractive, and apparently…scary." She added.

"Just stop it!" I yelled, making her jump. "Isabella, this isn't your fault. Just because you didn't know, doesn't mean that he wouldn't have still tried to…" I trailed off, avoiding the most recent Cena-based event. It made me want to kill that vile man. Hurting a woman I loved so much. Yes, I'm not even going to try denying it anymore. It's too hard to deny it. Jeff knows, he probably always knew. "Listen, you are not gullible, okay? You are smart, clever, independent, and just…amazing."

"Yeah, if I had been maybe a lot skinnier, and not so…gothic-punk-genreish, maybe he'd actually have wanted me. If I had been tanned, blond and skinny, straight out of the magazines, maybe I wouldn't be so unwanted." Isabella sighed again. My hands clenched around the steering wheel. He did this to her, made her so full of self doubt. She was none of those things she said. "Yeah, my name, too. Isabella? What was my family thinking?"

"Dammit, Isabella Rose Smith, look at me!" She jumped again at my sudden change of voice, and by the fact that I used her full name. "You are you. You're smart, sexy and you're personality is just…whoa. Yeah, so what if you weigh more than her, so what if she's blond and practically brainless. What's important is that you are what you've always been. Sweet, smart, fun, beautiful…and so much more. Don't even go there with your name. Isabella isn't really common, besides, it's really sensual, and shows your Italian roots. Italian and Irish, right?" She nodded and I continued. "Oh, and you are wanted, lots of men want you. Granted, half of them couldn't give you what you need. Somebody out there, Isabella, loves you with all his heart and is just waiting on forever because he knows he'll probably never get you." A part of me wanted to add _And he's sitting right here'_, but I knew it would've been a bad time.

"And how do you know that?"

"Just trust me on this one, okay?"

"Shannon, why did you change all of a sudden? I mean, before John and I got together, you hated me, but as soon as we did get together, it was like you actually _cared_."

I thought about it. She was right. Shrugging, I shook my head.

"Two months ago, had you kept hating me, you would've been laughing at me when I was heartbroken, and raped."

My knuckles were turning white and my jaw was locked tight, realizing that my once-relaxed posture was now locked , I tried to loosen it up as much a possible. "I-I don't know, for one thing it, I'm not that cruel. I was raised to respect women, and rape is no joke. For me, at least. I, along with half the WWE would've gone straight up to that guy and kick his ass for hurting you."

She sneezed. As I had expected, she had gotten a cold. Shivering slightly, she tried to pull her shirt closer around her. Pulling over at a truck stop, I got out and went to the trunk, digging for my bag that always held an extra, small blanket. Growling, I frowned when I saw that I had forgotten it this time. Zipping my suitcase with frustration, I threw it back in and slammed the trunk door. Going to her side of the car, I smiled.

"Hey, I'm going in, want anything?"

"Um, no thank you. Thanks anyway, Shannon." Her small voice whispered as she sneezed again. "Well, tissues would be nice, actually."

"Anything." I replied as I headed inside the small building. Raking the aisles, I grabbed what I wanted, a large bag of chips, a bottle of Sprite, and what Isabella wanted, a couple boxes of tissues. Paying, I slung the paper bag on my arm, I fixed my hat and sunglasses and returned to the truck. Handing her the objects she asked for, she smiled weakly.

"Thanks."

"As I said before, no problem." I smiled back and pulled my hoodie and handed it to her. While my hand was over there, I checked her forehead with the back of my hand. "You have a fever. Sleep."

"I can't. We're almost home, anyway."

"We just entered the state of North Carolina, it'll take a good four hours to get to your house." I countered.

"I just want to listen to music." She pouted little and turned on the radio, sliding a CD into the slot before pressing 'play'. _My Happy Ending_ started flowing out before I skipped it. The next songs weren't much better. All breakup songs and sadder ones. "Never mind." She added after she had skipped through the entire CD.

Four hours later, I pulled into her driveway and she slid out of the truck. Yawning, she stretched and started shuffling towards the door. Following her closely, I whispered. "Do you want me to carry you? You haven't slept since Sunday night, it's ten o'clock Tuesday night."

"Whatever." She replied, turning towards me and lazily wrapping her arms around my neck. I carefully picked her up and carried her into the house and up the stairs, laying her down on her bed. Brushing her hair out of her face, I leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"I'm, gonna go now. Um, see you tomorrow. Good night, Isabella." I responded, running a hand through my hair. "Well, I'm right down the hall…if you need anything."

"Yeah, I know. My house, remember?"

I laughed nervously as she sneezed again and waved as I left the room. Before I even got it closed, Isabella was up again and right behind me. Turning around, I raised an eyebrow. "Ye-" I was cut off as she kissed my cheek.

"Thank you, for everything these past few weeks. I really, really appreciate everything you've done. Not many people would do any of that for me. You'd make a great boyfriend, husband and eventually, father. I'd hate to ask you a favor…but-"

"Izzy, I did all those things because I wanted to. Besides, I'd do anything for you." I replied, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay then, if you do it for anybody, please do it for me…don't give up on love, Shannon. Like you said to me, there's somebody out there, waiting for you."

"I think I can manage that." I smiled and retreated to the guest bedroom.

* * *

(Isabella POV)

I yawned and slowly opened my eyes. Ugh, my head was pounding in my skull and my nose was stuffy and no matter how many times I sneezed, it wouldn't clear. Realizing I had no idea what time it was, I reached over for my cell phone, but my hand fell on top of a face. My eyes widened as I looked over, fearing the worst.

A breath of relief washed over me as I sat up. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry, I came in to check on you and you were shivering, even though you're up to your nose in blankets. Anyway, I couldn't focus on anything, so I decided to take a nap and came upstairs. When I checked on you again, you were still shivering. So, I laid down and pulled you in and soon later, you stopped shivering and I fell asleep. Next thing I know, you're molesting my face."

"Shannon, did you make a birthday wish?"

"Yeah, why?" He asked.

"Curious. Um, what did you wish for?" I replied, hoping he'd reference me.

"Well, if I tell ya, it won't come true." He cracked a smile. "So, what do you want for lunch?"

"What?"

"Darlin', it's noon, Thursday."

"What happened to Wednesday?"

"You slept straight through it."

"Have you been here, the entire time?" I questioned him.

"The only time I ever left the house was to take Oz for a walk. I wanted to make sure you're alright."

"Shannon, are you stalking me?"

"No." He chuckled before becoming serious again. "I want to hurt him. I want him to suffer."

"Huh?"

" Never before in my entire life have I ever wanted to hurt another human being as much as I want to do now. He deserves punishment." I looked at Shannon, shocked. He wasn't violent, at all. Sure, maybe a bit rash, assertive, and headstrong…but never _violent_. Never before have I ever heard the words 'I want to hurt somebody' leave his lips. It was just the way he was. Not a violent man, preferably, he'd walk away from a backstage fight, or argument.

Maybe it was what made him that much more attractive. Not needing to prove that he was stronger, better, more elite than anybody else…being comfortable with how he looked. Sure, he was a Munchkin compared to half the guys I work with, but he's a sexy Munchkin to boot. Another thing, Shannon was well-built, but not so well built that you could count the veins through their skin, stretched thin across their tight muscles, like msot of the Superstars. He could be like Batista, if he really wanted to. Thank God he's not conceited like that.

He's glancing at me, as if waiting for me to say something. His greenish-blue eyes twinkling in the light, spreading through the room from the window and landing on him, mainly. His toned and tanned body in the mid-day sun making me want to kiss him. It wouldn't have been the first time I had kissed him without him starting it, but I wouldn't let myself slip again. I had just been dumped for a brainless blond with good hair, that weighed less than half if what I did.

I can't let that get to me. The differences between Kelly and I were just too profound to be worried over. Shannon didn't have a problem with me. "So, we still having that cookout at your place, tonight?"

"Yep, roaches and buggies gone! I'll miss your house, though."

"Yeah, I'll miss having a roomie. If you ever want to stay again, just ask." I smiled. "I'm going to take a shower."

"I took one yesterday and dinner is already being cooked downstairs. Which reminds me, I should check on that." Shannon chuckled and left. I took my shower and got dressed before going down into the kitchen. When Shannon turned around, he frowned. "Maybe we should cancel, you're still sick."

"I'll be fine." I protested.

"Okay, just sit in the living room and watch T.V. till everyone comes."

"Aw, but I wanna give everyone food poisoning. Destroyer of dreams, Shannon Brian Moore." I pouted and shook my head disapprovingly. "Destroyer of dreams."

* * *

Hours had gone by and now we were all just partying in Shannon's house. Everybody was drunk, except me of course. Sighing, I made my way over to stand by Shannon, who had a bottle in his hand. As I stopped at his side, he passed a full one to me. "Shannon."

"It's root beer." He stated, turning his bottle so I could see the label. Indeed, it was root beer. "Relax, Honeybuns."

"Honeybuns? Nice. So, why aren't you drunk?"

"Well, I'm thinking about giving up alcohol."

"Shannon." I started. "Um, anyways, this may not be the right time, but I need to tell you something."

"Okay, go ahead." He replied with a small smile.

"Um, I think I'm in love-" I started before he cut me off.

"Excuse me? In love? Didn't you just get dumped, like a week and a half ago? How could you possibly be in love? Maybe you were right about how dumb, naïve, gullible and unobservant you are. Maybe he was right to call you unattractive and unwanted. In fact, maybe he was right to try and rape you!" He yelled, catching the attention of everyone. I gasped, shocked at what he said. His eyes widened and a hand went over his mouth. "Isabella." He started, softer this time.

"I hate you." I replied coldly and his eyes widened even more, if possible. "It's one thing to tell me off, and a completely different thing to think I deserved what John did and tried to do. Burn in hell, Shannon Brian Moore." I finished, voice wavering towards the end as a tear rolled down my face as I took a step closer and kneed him where it hurts. Scoffing, I turned and ran out the door.

(Shannon Moore)

Everyone besides Jeff, Matt, Shane, Harmony, Beth, Melina, and Jamie left.

"We'll go talk to her." Harm, Beth, Mel and Jamie stated in unison.

"No, we'll go." Shane and Matt offered.

"Shannon will go. It's his mess, he has to clean it up." Jeff replied, looking at me with knowing eyes. I simply nodded and grabbed my jacket. It was nearing ten o'clock and even though it was summer, it was still mildly chilly at night. Walking across my lawn to hers and to her front door, I opened it and stepped inside, knowing she didn't lock it.

Without even looking, I knew where she was, it was her thinking spot. If you looked out the window in my room, you could see straight into hers. Entering the room, I spotted the open window and climbed through before climbing up onto the slanted roof. Turning, I saw her sitting, staring into the open night. Before I even said anything, I sat down and followed her gaze.

"So, are you gonna push me off the roof?" She asked. My heart melted. I didn't mean anything I said back there. It was all of my pent up frustration over him hurting her and being in love with her and trying to keep it a secret; it just got to be too much for me to handle.

"No, I just came up here to talk, and think. Listen, Isabella, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean anything I said back there, I was just…frustrated. With John…with myself. I feel bad about it. I do care about you and you are the farthest thing from those foul things I said. It's just, when you said you hated me, the look in your eyes was so cold, so stone; I instantly regretted saying those things. I don't want you to hate me, it sucked having you hate me. Forgive me?" I wanted to tell her how I felt…tell her I loved her. But she had found somebody else, and that's what hurt me the most.

"Yes, I forgive you, but I really need to clear my head. That's why I need to go to Seattle."

"Seattle?" I asked.

"Yeah, and I'm not sure if I'm coming back. Vince let me resign and told me that if I ever wanted to come back, I could. Really, I need to think about things, about how I feel. I need to get over John, and that's easiest when I'm alone, without pressure over other things. Um, Shannon? I'm giving you reign over my house, if I'm not back in six months, put it up for sale, because if I'm not back by then, I probably won't come back."

"No, no, no, no, no. Izzy, you can't leave. You can't leave your friends, your job, your life here, me." I added the last part under my breath. "When do you leave?"

"First thing tomorrow." She replied, wiping a tear away.

"So soon? Does anybody else know?"

"I told them a while ago, while you took Oz for a quick walk and I told the WWE before we left on Tuesday."

"Why was I the last?"

"Because I knew you where going to act like this." She replied. "I'm leaving, and I'm not telling anybody my address, my phone number, because I'm going to try to start over."

"Why Seattle?"

"Nobody from the WWE lives there, so nobody can try to convince me to come back."

"Can you just tell me this one thing before I leave you alone for the rest of the night, and possibly the rest of your life?" I asked her, wanting to know. Needing to know. She nodded. "Who did you fall in love with?" I finished.

"You." She replied, and I left before she could see the tears that were slowly making their way down my face. She felt the same way, and I couldn't say those three words back to her, knowing it wasn't going to change anything.

* * *

**So, there you go. I hope you like it! Please review and I promise, this story is far from over. **


	14. Goodbye's are Forever

**Okay, I'm sorry that this is kind of short, I'm kind of on some writer's block for this story. I'm thinking about letting some characters play minor roles in other stories of mine. Kind of like have Corilynn from Eye of the Hurricane(which is very new, check it out if you wanna) and Isabella be friends and that this is Isabella's story while Eye of the Hurricane is Corilynn's, along with some other OC's I have running around in my head. Damn them and their plot bunnies. lol. please read and review, I only own my OCs and the plot.**

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Chapter Fourteen: Goodbye's are Forever

(Shane POV)

We were all standing in the airport, seeing Isabella off to Seattle. She had just gotten through security, but had run back to see us. "I-I just really need a break, from wrestling, from my screwed up love life, just everything's getting hectic. I'm sorry, you guys shouldn't have come." Hugging everybody, I heard her thank Matt and Jeff, along with Beth for all their help and great friendship over the years, etc…

Then she hugged me, her arms tightly around my waist as she laid her head on my chest. "Shane, I'll miss you a lot. Maybe even you the most." She pulled away and I smiled at her.

"Aw, don't go hatin' on Jeff and Matt. We'll be right her waiting for you when you come back." I hugged her again before she went on to Shannon, who tensed.

"Shannon." She started before he interrupted.

"Just…go. If you really have to go, than just do it. I'm not going to try and stop you, what's the point? You wouldn't listen to me, anyways. Hope you like the rain." That was all he said before turning to me. "I'll be in the car." He left, leaving Isabella standing there, gaping at him.

"Miss, you'll have to board the flight now." A security guard stated and she waved before leaving. We watched her plane leave, waving, hoping she would see us. Yeah, it hurt watching a good friend of mine just up and leaving out of nowhere, and I wanted to stop her, but this was going to be good for her. I just felt it.

As expected, when we got back to the car, the first thing Matt did was throw open the door and glare at Shannon. "What the hell was that? Just go? Hope you like the rain? Why didn't you just tell her to f-off?" Shannon, said nothing. The whole ride home, that was all Matt could do. Pick at everything wrong. Granted, I was the one who drove knowing Matt was too angry too drive, Jeff was too sad to drive, Shannon just was too depressed… Even if Matt thought he was happy, I knew he wasn't and it bugged me. Dropping Matt and Jeff off, I told Shannon to climb into the front seat.

He didn't object, so we grabbed some Chinese take out and drove to his house. Instead of going into his own, he went into Isabella's. Following him, he explained, "She gave the house to me. If she's not back in six months, she told me to sell it." He looked on the brink of tears before he climbed the stairs and went into Isabella's room. From there he went out the window and up onto the roof.

Without questioning, I followed and sat beside him, looking into the setting sun. "This is where she comes to think."

"I know." I replied.

"I never hated her. When she first moved here, I thought she was the most beautiful, wonderful person I had ever met, but I had Crystal. I knew if I had a good relationship with her, I'd end up falling in love. I already had, but just to prevent it at all costs. In return, she hated me. It was all good, until she started dating Cena."

"It drove me mad, seeing her like that. Knowing it could've been me. It was just, suddenly I'd have the urge to…kiss her…and when I did, I felt as though I should be doing that everyday. I-I wanted to kill him when I saw her that night, invaded and vandalized, almost stolen. She was right there in front of me as she said, 'it was Cena'. All those opportunities I had while we were both single, I couldn't take. She wouldn't understand my reasons. Did you know that every single day since the moment I met her, I told myself I hated her. That she was annoying and stupid and just not right for me. I told myself that so many times, for so long, that I actually believed it myself."

What were your reasons?" I asked.

"She was too good for me. When she first told me that she had went to law school, I just knew. She had gone to college, come from a good family, just…unflawed. At least that's what I thought. She lost her dad and most of her family in an elevator accident. Everybody except her mom and her."

I was speechless. I never really bugged her about the elevator thing, at least I stopped when we had urged her so much, that she agreed to it, to shut us up, and rode the elevator with us. The entire way down, she was silent and trying to control her breathing. Brushing it off, we kind of made the elevator wobble by jumping up and down and shaking it. Isabella's eyes widened and started tearing up as she started hyperventilating. We stopped bothering her about it after that.

"No, I didn't know that. Did you know she lost her mother in a drunk driving accident and she has a step dad?"

"No, that's why she doesn't drink."

"Yeah, but the thing is, her mother was driving her home from a live event, when they were T-boned by a truck doing eighty in a 55. Isabella stated that she got out of wrestling for a while, until high school, when she won an essay contest about Ric Flair. Apparently, she won a chance to meet him, and train with him for a day. So, that's how she becomes a wrestler." I shook my head. "She didn't tell Matt or Jeff about the elevator, did she?"

"No. When she felt ready to say something, my dad had died and she didn't want to seem selfish by turning it towards her."

"That's Isabella for you. How old was she, when her dad died?"

"Six. What about with her mom?"

"Twelve." I snorted. "The poor girl, lost her entire family so young."

"I thought she said she visited relatives in Wisconsin?"

"Probably her step dad , hm."

"She only told you about her mom?" He asked.

"I guess, it was a couple years ago, maybe 2006. It was Mother's Day and I asked her what I should do for my mom, and she gave advice. Then I asked her what she was doing for her mom, and she started crying. When I asked her if she was okay, she walked me to the cemetery and while we were walking, she told me the story. Apparently, it was getting close to the anniversary." I sighed. "I wonder why she never told Matt or Jeff about this…"

"She always was more comfortable around you than the other two, and I guess me…even when I 'hated' her."

"Almost eight/nine years of pretending you hated her, damn you must love her pretty bad."

"It killed me to be so rude to her. I wanted to tell her, but some part of me told me to let her go. I didn't want her to, and everybody thinks I do. Well, besides you. Besides, the Hardys were always more important than you and I. We could fade into the background, Matt and Jeff couldn't. They'll always remember Matt and Jeff. Probably won't even remember us."

"Never know, a push could be right around the corner."

"Please, they like me with Isabella, now that she's gone…"

"She'll be back." I stated.

"How can you be so sure?"

"You know, Isabella believes that goodbye's are permanent, that's why she hardly ever says it?"

"Yeah…" He frowned, not seeing where this was going.

"After you left, she had to board the plane. She didn't say goodbye." I smiled and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smile a little too.

"You know, she always wanted to redo her entire house." He smirked at me and I knew what he was getting at.

"Hm, this is starting to sound like While You Were Out." I laughed.

"Well, Hurricane, are you willing to do that for Isabella?"

"Sure. We may need more help, though."

"I think we can manage." He added, still smiling.


	15. Regret

**Sorry this is so short, there isn't much to put into it since Isabella took off to Seattle...Anyway, because of that, the chapters are likely to be significantly shorter than what you're used to. Anyways, yeah Vince is kind of...nice in this chapter lol. Um I only own my OCs and if you don't recognize a name, it's probably an OC. If you want to check out the other OCs, read their stories, most are posted already and are in-progress. Um read and review, please;) We authors here on love reviews, they make us happy! Hee-hee, thanks.**

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Chapter Fifteen: Regret

_**Shannon POV**_

Walking backstage on Smackdown, I tried to find Mr. McMahon. He had said he wanted to see me, something about a push or change…I can't remember. Isabella should be here…right now, under my arm as I walked down the hall. She should be right next to me, smiling contently and looking up at me with those gorgeous green eyes before she'd kiss me. Right where anybody and everybody could see. That's where she should be and what she would be doing, laughing as I whispered 'People are staring'.

Then she's respond with 'Give them something to stare at' before pulling me into an intense, passion-filled kiss. A kiss that was a perfect combination of sweet, yet rebellious. Smiling, she'd pull back and whisper 'Are they still staring?' Yet, she wasn't doing any of that. She was in Seattle because I didn't take action.

Had I told her how I felt when I had the many chances, she could still be here right now. Isabella Smith would be my loving girlfriend, had I spoken up. She probably would've dumped Cena and not be affect when he told her he didn't care anyways, she probably wouldn't have had to go through all the Cena drama. It's one of the many things I regret doing, along with hating her. All it ever took was three words to bring her even closer to me, and I couldn't say them.

I love Isabella Smith, truly. Everything about her just made me sigh with content. One sad thing was that before she left she told me she had fallen in love with me. See, a perfect opportunity to tell her I loved her too, but I just walked away. How hard could it be to just tell her I loved her? Now it was too late, she was gone and might not be coming back. Shane says she will, but I'm not so sure. Heh, he's probably told Corilynn all about this.

Finding Vince's office, I pushed the door open to see he was in a meeting with Adam, Lex, Shay, and John. Their heads turned to face me. Apologizing, I almost ducked out before Vince stopped me. "It's okay, Mr. Moore. We're done here anyways." He nodded as the four wrestlers got up and left. Shay gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she passed. I smiled back at her, jealous of her inability to get enraged. Her inability to get heartbroken and pained. Well, at least she doesn't let it show, whereas Lex is the one screaming at people and punching her duffel bag. It's a wonder that the two are friends…

I took a seat across from Vince and he cleared his throat. "So, Shannon. With the recent and possibly temporary departure of Isabella, we are not taking her off the roster until she calls in to tell us that she's not coming back, for sure. We're just going to play up an injury. While that's going on, you're going to be on ECW, with Corilynn and Shane in a storyline where you'll team with them…so on and so forth. Is there anything you need?"

"No, sir."

"Hey, kid, I enjoyed her company too. One of the most dedicated Divas I've seen in my time. In fact, the whole troupe of ladies you hang out with are a good reason as to why I even keep Divas around anymore. We all know Isabella's a veteran, coming into the company in 2005, so, she knows what she's doing. Yet the fans never tire of her, quite an attractive personality. Lex has been with us for a couple years, so has Skye, and Corilynn. Shay and Harmony have excellent potential, though. When, and if Isabella returns, I have a strong mind to put her with you. The fans loved it, their two favorite punks delivering quite spectacular matches…well it was magic." He cleared his throat again.

"Speaking of matches, she was a highflier, right? Yes, and she could manhandle half of my roster." He chuckled. "A powerhouse that was still sexy and elite. That's part of why I hired her, along with her professional, yet fun-loving attitude."

"Sir, why are you telling me this?"

"Listen, I could see how you felt about her the entire time and decided to play matchmaker, because I knew that somewhere along the way, the 'hating' would fade away and you'd see how alike you actually are and how much you two compliment each other and are good for one another. Just make sure her absence doesn't take it's toll on your work ethic."

"Um, it won't…I promise." I nodded.

"Good, after all absence makes the heart grow fonder." Vince smiled, an unsual occurrence for him. "Now get out of my office."

I smiled and thanked him before leaving. His words echoed in my head. _Absence makes the heart grow fonder…_My smile widened knowing that maybe he was right, yet a small voice in my head wondered what would happen if he was wrong. Shaking the thought from my head, I silently wished that he was right. My smile turned to a smirk and I shook my head slowly. It was amazing how one person could change someone else's values and it was also amazing how one regret could make you realize how much that person actually meant to you. Again, my thoughts go back to what Vince told me. _Absence makes the heart grow fonder._ I laughed, knowing it was going to be true for me and just hoping it would be true for her...


	16. Miserable

**Okay, chappy sixteen is now up. Sorry for the wait, lol. I would like to thank all of my reviewers, who give me such inspiration to write this story and to put effort into it. So, please sit back, read, review and enjoy...**

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Chapter Sixteen: Miserable

_*Cori POV*_

I saw that Shannon wasn't even paying attention to his food, but instead held his face in one hand and was blankly staring at the chicken sandwich while the other hand slowly drew a fork through a salad. It seemed that everybody thought he was happy she was gone, and it seemed that only Shane, Shay, Harmony, and I knew he was miserable. So, he puts on a front that says that he couldn't care less that Isabella was gone. Why? Because even if he did say that he was miserable without her here, they'd say it was because he had nobody to torture.

It was sad seeming him so…sad. They had actually got on a common ground recently and were somewhat friends. In fact, he loved her. He had told Shay, Harmony, and I that, oh and Shane. They had begun a redecorate plan for her house, but scrapped it when Shay said 'Wouldn't it make it more special if she was here to help? Just in case we do something she wouldn't like?' They agreed and decided to wait until she came back.

Almost a month had passed since she left. I missed my closest friend, a lot. In truth, she was probably the main reason why I was friends with Shay, Lex, Skye, and Harmony. Well, Lex and Shay were friends before they met us. Shay worked as a caterer on Raw before being moved to Smackdown to pursue her wrestling career. Lex also worked there as a backstage interviewer. They all met each other and got acquainted. Then she met Skye when she came in to the WWE. They all met me when there was a show in North Carolina and they had a party at her house. Had she not introduced us to each other, we would never have been friends. Some would say our personalities clashed too much.

Lex had anger issues and was very…dominant. Shay was shy and clumsy, and would rather sit there and read than gossip. Skye had some trust issues, having been deceived one too many times in the past. Her two children often scaring off potential boyfriends, and if they didn't freak guys out too much, they ended up cheating or stealing from her. Harmony was just hyper active and bubbly, seeming to have great parents and an easy childhood. Isabella lost both parents in freak accidents when she was young and had a controlling, greedy stepfather that set impossibly high standards for her, but let his own children slip by. I was the optimistic, family-oriented one who moved to America when I was ten years old from England. My parents had thought that I had a better chance here than back home, and sent me over here with a foster family. It was either they didn't want me and shipped me over to the nearest country without leaving Europe, or the possibility that they wanted a better life for me and thought America was the best suit.

As it turns out, America was the best suit. I had awesome friends, which were my family. But, now my family was missing a member. It was affecting all of us in some way. Isabella was the mixer; the one that had the personality to neutralize and mesh all of our separate ones. The seat next to Shannon became occupied by Harmony, who slid in. "Sorry, I'm late. It's been a hell of a week, so far." She gave us a smile.

"It's alright, Harm." Shane said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I take it that it's poultry night?" Harmony gestured to the amount of chicken around the room. "Yeah." Shane dropped his fork onto the table. "It's true, you don't know what you have until it's gone."

Shannon shook his head and stood before disappearing into the locker room. Following him, I waved for Shane and Harmony to there. Entering the room, I saw him sitting on the bench, head in his hands. I sighed and he looked up. "Cori." It was a one-worded warning, but I ignored it and sat next to him.

We sat there silently for a few minutes, before Shannon spoke. "I-I don't know what to do, Riles."

"And if I tell you, it takes away from the learning experience."

"I made a mistake, and it cost me. I never should've pretended I hated her. I never should've let her leave."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, listen to me. Everybody makes mistakes, but it's not your fault she left. Yeah, things…could be different right now, and they are, just not in the ways you want. You and Isabella are closer friends now. Somewhere along the line, she fell in love with you and you fell in love with her."

"Riley, you know that I've loved her for years now, that I was just, hating her because I couldn't have her. Had I told her how I felt years ago, we could be happily married, just living life in the fullest."

"Yeah, Shannon, that's one of many possibilities. You don't know how your life could be if you changed something that started so many years ago. None of us know what would've happened. It's all just hopeful fantasies and endless possibilities. Even if she doesn't come back, we can hold as much resentment as we want, but it wont change anything."

"Riles, how did you get blessed with such wisdom?" He chuckled softly. He had usually called me 'Riley' or 'Riles'. How he got Riley/Riles out of Corilynn was beyond me. He had explained that some people called me Cor/Cori, which was the first part of my name, while others called me Lynn; the last part of my name. When Shane started calling me Ri in high school, he came up with Riley, or Riles. Saying that. 'it was the middle ground between Cori and Lynn.'

"I was born with it." I smirked playfully.

"I am just so used to having her around, you know? It's…weird not seeing her every week or every couple weeks."

"Yeah. It is, but I'm sure she'll be back soon, Shanny." I ruffled his hair and left. Closing the door on my way out, I went into the shower room, shut the door and let the tears flow. He was miserable. He was blaming himself for everything and it just wasn't his fault. Ever since she left, it was like a dark cloud had settled over our family. Shannon was basically depressed, Lex's anger problem is heightening and she and Matt are bound to get into an argument sooner or later. Shay is more reclusive than normal and it's like everyone is sadder all the time. In the mirror, I quickly wiped up my tears and tried to settle my breathing.

Crying over it wasn't going to bring Izzy back. Being depressed wasn't bringing her back. The only thing we could do…was nothing. Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair, just as someone knocked on the door. Hesitantly, I opened it to see Shannon staring back at me. Quietly, I let him in and shut the door.

He instantly wrapped me in a hug. "I'm sorry, Riley. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not your fault, Shannon. It's only been a month and things are starting to crumble."

_*Shannon POV*_

I stared at the Brit in my arms, her eyes slightly red and puffy. "I know, and I'm sorry. I just really miss her and I care about her. I just can't help but feel that this is partly my fault."

"Stop saying that! Just shut up and deal with it, Shannon! We all know you're miserable and depressed and just a shell, but stop acting like you're the only one who ever cared about her. Stop acting like you're the only one who misses her and wishes she were home instead of trying to get a fresh start in Seattle! We all care about her, we all miss her. You are not the only one, dammit! Isabella brought me some of the greatest friends in the world. Without her, I never would've even spoken to Skye, or Shay, or Lex. Those women are some of the best, wonderful, and spectacular in the world and are the best friends a girl could have. In case you haven't noticed, I repel female friends. Have you noticed that none of the ECW Divas like me. All day, everyday, I'm surrounded by testosterone and people who can't share the 'period pain'!" She took a deep breath and kept going, by this time, she was standing in front of the door, hands on her hips.

"Isabella would call me when I was in England and just chat. She would call me when I'm on ECW to check in on things and catch up. I understand that you love her and that you miss her. But, you are not the only one. Not once have I ever heard you ask anyone else if they were okay and if they needed to talk. You are starting to become a selfish ass and once you get there, Shannon, nobody will want to be around you, not even us." Cori frowned as she finished and stormed out of the room, leaving me to return to catering.

"What the hell did you say to her? Cori just stormed in here, grabbed her bag and said she had to go." Harmony asked.

"We heard her yelling." Shane added.

"It was nothing." I shrugged and tried to brush past the two. They stopped me.

"No, Shannon. It wasn't nothing. We heard what she said." Harmony started, but was cut off.

"Yeah, what you heard. You probably heard wrong. Oh, and pardon me if I don't listen to somebody who just barges into N.C. from some random town in Wisconsin and tries to be our friend."

"That's bull, Shannon. If you think for one second that the only reason I came to N.C. was to 'try and be a friend', you're wrong. I came because I wanted, I needed to get away from Wisconsin. Literally, I just took out a map, flipped a coin and it landed on North Carolina. I chose what I thought was a good neighborhood and met you guys. I came to the ECW taping tonight, so I could surprise my friends and say hello. What do I get instead? I get berated by an idiot, who really, really needs to get over the fact that he made a mistake, and it cost him. Cori's right, you are turning into a selfish jackass." Harmony finished, spinning on her heels to walk off in the opposite direction. Once she was gone, I rolled my eyes and looked at Shane.

"Are you going to tell me off, too?"

"No, I'm going to give you a piece of advice. If you won't listen to them, listen to me. We all care about her, and we care about you. The girls have a point, and I don't think they exaggerated at all. If you don't think about the hole your digging for yourself, think about what Isabella wants. What she needs. She's like a sister to me, Shan. I hate seeing her not here. I hate seeing Cori upset because Izzy isn't here. Even if you don't think about us, think about Isabella. Because, I highly doubt that the man standing in front of me now is the man she fell for. Think about it." He slung his bag over his shoulder and left catering as well.


	17. Fight for You

**Yay, new chappy! Thanks to Angel for beta-reading this. Trust me, this chapter went through some heavy evaluation...Anyway, my dedicated readers of A Thick Line Between Love and Hate should REALLY go read Every Light in the House is On. It's written by Edgeismyhero1217 and there's a link in my profile...it's a Shanny/Izzy oneshot that I won so y'all would probably enjoy it!**

**Please review, reviews are loved here on . Show your love, lol. Also, I only own Izzy and my other OCs. No wrestlers belong to me...**

**I think that's all for disclaimers...ENJOY!!**

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Chapter Seventeen: Fight for You

_*Shannon POV*_

I sighed and patted my lap. Instantly, the two creatures staring up at me with their beady black eyes leapt up and took their spots on my lap/ armrest of the couch. Isabella's couch. Isabella. The name struck close to the heart. Hell, it _was_ my heart. It didn't matter what I did, I could say her name, scream her name, but it still didn't bring her back to me. All I had left of her was what she left behind…

Memories of us, of her life here in North Carolina. Her dogs, her house. Permanent things. Things that couldn't be put on an airplane.

It was as if she wanted us to not hear from her, well she didn't want us to speak with her or anything. But it was as if she made sure we couldn't find her. She didn't take her vehicles, because we could track the license plates, she left her cell phone, and so many other things. There were only two things as to which I was certain.

One, people thought I was happy she was gone, but in reality, they don't know that secretly I'm endlessly trying not to cry.

Secondly, if there was one thing Isabella Rose Smith took with her, it was my heart.

The phone rang, startling me and I contemplated answering it. If I did answer it, there was a chance I'd be chewed out by Matt or Lex, who seemed assured that it was my fault she left. If I didn't, I could be missing out on Shane, or Cori, or another one of my friends who could actually see my misery. If I did that, they'd think the worse and send an ambulance and squad car to my home. Sure, I was miserable, but not to the point where I wanted to end it.

Okay, I did want to end it, but not like that. All I wanted was for Isabella to come _home_ and start a new life with me and do everything she ever wanted to do. I doubt that it would happen if she came home to find out that I had killed myself in her house, over her absence. She'd be devastated and I couldn't have her be sad anymore.

On the off chance that it could be Isabella on the phone, I answered and faked a voicemail. "Hello, this is the Township of Shannon's a Miserable Fool, Population: 1. This is the town founder, sole occupant, and mayor speaking; how may I help you?"

"Shannon." It was a one-worded warning. "I know you're there." The other person's phone was on loud speaker, and I could hear rustling.

"S-Shannon?" Shay's voice said as she took over the phone. The Hart had always been a good listener, not much of a talker though…

"Yeah, Shay? Are you going to blow up on me like Cori, Harm, and Shane did?"

"N-no. I-it's just me. S-skye has t-to take care of K-Kira and D-Damien." I nodded as she spoke. Skye's twin pre-teens always caught her attention. "I-I miss h-her too, Sh-Shannon. A-and I know t-that she m-might not come b-back, b-but what ki-kind of fr-friends would we b-be to give u-up on her? S-Someone once s-said that -hmm, w-where's my b-book?"

"Yeah, that one was a keeper."

She huffed. "I-I had one p-picked out, but I-I lost my book." She was referring to the book she had that had millions of quotes in it.

"You had good intentions."

"J-just r-remember what I told you Sh-Shannon." She hung up, leaving me wondering. She was right. What kind of friends would we be if we gave up on her? Nothing we could say or do would bring her back, only patience and praying she knows that we-that I can't live without her. I refuse to live without her. If it took me the rest of my life, I'd make sure to keep her in it as much as possible.

Standing, I left the house, locked it and drove to Matt's place. Entering his house, I disrupted him watching T.V. on his couch. "Shannon!" His loud voice boomed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Getting what I need." I replied as I grabbed a couple pictures, including both of the pictures Matt had taken on the Fourth of July, a couple of pictures Matt had taken on her birthday last year, and a couple of Izzy and I teaming together. Matt had already approached me, seething slightly.

"Which is what?"

Turning to face him, I noticed the glare in his eyes. "I'm going to photocopy these pictures, Matt."

"For what? Target practice?" He cut in.

"No, dammit Matt, get off your high horse and make sure your girlfriend gets off it too. How dare you think that I'm glad she's gone? Why are you always blind to everything that doesn't involve you? Jeff knows, Cori knows, Shane knows, Shay knows, Skye knows, Harmony knows, everybody knows, except you and Lex. You only know that she fell in love with me, but you have no idea about how mutual the feeling was. Never once have you spoken about her. Do _you_ even care she's gone?" I asked.

Matt's jaw clenched and he turned away before reeling back and decking me in the face, "Isabella's like a sister to me, Shannon. She counted on us to keep her strong, to help her through and to make sure she was never alone. She helped us through a lot too. She helped me get over Amy, she helped me get back from psychotic Matt and know she's gone. Just like my mother, someone who meant so much to me ripped away and we had no control over it. The only female influence we really had besides Cori was Isabella." I bit my lip as I saw a tear roll down his face.

"I-I'm sorry, Matt."

"I'm sorry, too, Shannon. So you loved her?"

"I still do."

"I didn't know. I was wrong to assume the worst, Shannon." He sighed, wiping his tears away. "And here we have tough Matt crying."

"It's okay to cry, Matt. That's what I did the third day she was gone. First step's guilt, then blame, then it's anger before it settles in as depression before you finally get over it." I sighed as Matt pulled me into a man-hug.

"Still want those pictures?" He asked.

"Yeah…"

"Take 'em. I have copies stored on my computer." Matt smiled as he pulled away, patting my shoulder as he placed the frames in my hands. "We should talk soon, um lunch tomorrow when we fly into the next town?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then." I smiled as I went for the door.

"Bye, Shan." Matt waved kindly as I left his house and returned to Isabella's. Setting the frames on the coffee table, I kicked off my shoes and laid down on the couch. All I could think about was Isabella coming home, sun shining off her sleek black hair. She'd ring the door bell and I'd answer it, smiling as she jumped into my arms. Then I'd vow to never give her a reason to leave again. Sooner or later I got caught up in my blissful thoughts and fell asleep.

_*Matt POV*_

The next morning I woke up smiling. I explained what happened to Lex as I drove to Shannon's house. The younger man was waiting outside the door, suitcases all packed and ready to go. When I stopped the car, he threw his bags in the back and climbed into the backseat. "Hey Matt, Lex." He trailed off, Lex fidgeted in her seat.

I tapped her hand and gestured to Shannon with my head. She looked at me like I was crazy and shook her head. I nodded. "Just do it." I said through clenched teeth, under my breath into her ear. She sighed and whispered back.

"No."

"Lex, please."

"Fine." She frowned. I knew she could drag out the argument until we got off the plane in the next city, so it surprised me that she gave in so quickly. "Shannon, I'm….uh…I'm, um." She stumbled over the words, having not said them in a while. She hardly ever apologized to anyone, especially if she was at fault.

"I-I'm…sorry."

I saw Shannon's confused expression in the rearview mirror.

"I'm sorry, Shan. I had no right to assume you were happy Isabella left. I had no right to be angry at you and blame you because I felt guilty. But this isn't about me it's about you and Izzy. Matt told me what happened last night and I was wondering how long you've loved her for?"

"Since the day I met her. It was wrong of me to pretend I hated her, and I regret 'hating' her."

"Oh." Lex said quietly. The next hour was spent in silence as we drove to the airport, boarded the plane and took off.

* * *

After the plane had landed, we checked into our hotel, dropped off our suitcases and took our duffel bags to the arena. Currently, we were in the male's locker room, although Lex had taken off to see other friends. "So, Shannon, where are we going for lunch?"

"I don't know, man. The café down the street?" Shannon suggested and I nodded.

"Sure, see you there." I gave him a smile, checking my watch. It was about 10-ish. "I gotta go work out a few things with the storyline, so I might be a tad late." I said as he just nodded.

"Totally understandable, I'm probably going to chill out in here for a while."

I smirked. "Lazy bum."

"Workaholic." He snorted back.

"Shortstack."

"Matthew."

I stopped, knowing he had won. Seconds later we both burst into laughter. "Seriously, though. I gotta run, bye Shanno." I waved and left the locker room, heading over to the conference room where John, Shay, Lex, Adam and a few other coworkers were sitting.

* * *

The meeting, as expected, had lasted longer than I had expected and when I looked at the clock, it was nearing 1:00. Damn, I thought to myself. Shannon's probably waiting for me. "Hey, guys, I gotta go." I said to the group of Superstars/Divas standing around me after the meeting.

"Okay, bye, honey." Lex kissed my cheek with a smile as I left. Getting into my car, I checked my cell phone, no messages or calls. Figures, Shannon didn't call to ask where I was, knowing I probably wouldn't turn my pone back on until I got to the café, and by then it would've been too late.

I drove to the café in silence and when I got inside, I went to the desk area. "Hey, um is a Shannon Moore here?"

"Um, I don't think so, sir. Sorry." The receptionist said and I replied.

"Shannon's a guy."

"Oh, still, no Shannon Moore." The man replied curtly and I asked for a seat. He led me to one and I took the menu, looking it over. Maybe he was late, later than I was. He could've forgotten something or went to the mall and lost track of time. There was so many possibilities. After waiting ten minutes, I called his cell.

"_Hey, this is Shannon's phone, I'm unavailable at the moment, I'm not going to bother with the super long message. I'm pretty sure you know what to do. I'll call you back whenever I can or want to. Thanks."_

He wasn't answering his phone? Staring at my phone in confusion, I tried again and got the same message. Shutting the device, I set it on the table and tapped the table with my fingers. Suddenly, the door opened and I expected to see Shannon, but instead saw Jay, Shane, and Tommy. As they enared my table, they stopped to greet me and take the seats. "Hey, man." Jay greeted. "Why are you sitting here alone? Did Lex get pissed at you?"

"No, no. I'm waiting for Shannon. He was supposed to meet me here at twelve thirty and he's not here."

"Dude, it's almost two. Are you sure you said twelve?" Tommy asked.

"I'm positive. Have you seen him?" I asked.

"Now, that you mention it, I haven't seen the guy since we flew in." Tommy replied, a look of concern etching onto his features. "Have any of you?"

"No, I haven't seen him since then we got to the arena." Shane sighed with frustration.

"He was in the locker room, but said he was going to lunch with you and that's the last I saw of him, and it was at twelve he left." Jay explained. "Where could the rugrat be?"

"Great, first Isabella leaves, and now Shannon's gone too." I said through gritted teeth.

"Maybe he left to find her?" Tommy suggested.

"No, he's not an idiot, it would be hopeless to try to find her. He'd tell us." Shane answered. "Have you tried calling him?"

I flipped my phone open and set it to loudspeaker before dialing the number. Shannon's voice mail came on. Closing my phone, I ran a hand through my hair. "He's not answering his phone."

"We have to think positively, maybe he lost his phone or something." Jay shrugged.

"You've known him for years, Jay." I sighed. "Let's call people and see if they've seen him."

A couple hours later, we had called practically everyone in the business, and still no sign of Shannon. All of them said the same, 'haven't seen him since we flew in' or something along the lines of that. By now, it was 4ish and we had to leave for the show.

* * *

After the show, we continued our search. Nothing. "Shannon, where the hell are you?" I whispered the crisp night air. Then I remembered something. The one person we didn't bother calling. His name rolled through my mind and sent anger coursing through my veins. My blood boiled, knowing what had probably happened. That foul, vile monster had already harmed Isabella, but now he was after Shannon? No, it had to go differently.

My mind tried to tune out all the possibilities, but the name still echoed in my head.

John Cena.


	18. Lost and Found

**Yay, here we go, chapter eighteen! Woot, almost about halfway into the story! Lol, Also, there's a new poll in my profile and it concerns this fic so it's important that you check it out and VOTE! Lol, I only own Isabella and whatever OCs are mentioned...lol. Please read and review and most importantly, enjoy:)**_

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_

_Chapter Eighteen: Lost and Found_

_*Shannon POV*_

I gave the man in front of me a pointed look. He just smiled and chuckled, as if nothing was wrong. Nothing was wrong, in his eyes, while simply _everything _was wrong from where I saw it. This was the man who had caused Isabella pain. This was the man who thought it was fun to mess with someone's heart, to screw with their head.

"You know, just because you play it off like you're untouchable, doesn't mean you actually are."

"You're right, Shanno. You did throw a few good ones, gave me a bloody lip and a black eye. Yet you're here with a concussion. What does that tell you?" He laughed. "Don't worry, in about thirty minutes I'll let you call your friends and tell them where you are. I just made sure that you were under wraps for a while, let them sweat something out."

"We did nothing to you." I stated.

"Isabella did something. She got over me."

"So?"

"I've been known as a heartbreaker, Shannon. I've also been known as a man who's hard to get over. She got over me in less than a month. I want to know what it is she sees in you." John Cena asked.

"Well, I couldn't possibly answer that, cause I have no idea myself. Why don't you ask her? Oh yeah, she's not here." I rolled my eyes and looked around the hospital room, my mind flashing back to how I even got here…

_Flashback_

_As soon as Matt left, I had gone searching of the one man I needed to speak to. It took me a while, but I finally found him in a deserted hallway, listening to music. He stopped when he saw me and a small smirk crawled over his face. "Shannon, Shannon, Shannon. What brings you here?"_

_I snorted. "You and I have to talk."_

"_About your precious Isabella? Listen, dude, you have bipolar or something. First you hate her, then you love her, what is your problem?"_

"_Just so you know, I never hated her." I informed, sick and tired of having to repeat it over and over._

"_Mhhmmm. I never loved her, so I guess we're even."_

"_Not even close. How could you hurt somebody like that? Isabella's a sweet and wonderful person, okay? Nothing like your Barbie or whatever it is she calls herself nowadays." I sighed, trying to steer myself away from trash talking._

"_Kelly has class."_

"_Yeah, probably as much class as Kanye for screwing with Taylor Swift's VMA speech." I rolled my eyes._

"_Okay then, you trash my girl, I'll trash what would've been your girl, had she not ditched you for Seattle."_

"_Isabella left because she needed to get personal things sorted out."_

"_But none of those things included you, otherwise she would've brought you along."_

"_Some things have to be done alone." I reminded him._

"_Ah yes, but usually they figure themselves out and realize that they are much happier without their past. She won't come back, Shannon. If I'm correct, which I probably am, I recall her falling in love with you and actually telling you, whereas you never said anything to her about you loving her. So, she must think that you don't feel the same way, which will prompt her to never return." He finished and I knew he had a point, but I couldn't give up on Isabella. I refused to. Turning around, I walked away and he followed._

"_What, no comment? I know you're angry, Shannon. It's impossible for you not to be angry. I just dissed someone you care about and you're going to walk away and do nothing?"_

"_Isabella would've been disappointed in me if she were to find out that I got fired because I got into a fight over her. She wouldn't want me to risk my career. That's how she is, and if you were genuine, you would've been able to feel the happiness she brings. I'm not going to fight you unless it's self defense." I replied and before I could start walking, he had thrown me into the wall and had already thrown a punch._

_I stumbled forward and shoved him away before trying to get back down the hall. He caught up to me and grabbed my shoulders before turning me to face him. "I thought you said you were going to fight me if I started it. Well, I did now come on!"_

"_Correction, meathead. I said I'd fight in self defense. Self defense is removing yourself from the situation, not necessarily fighting back." I replied with a smirk and his eyes narrowed before he rammed me into the wall again. Ow, that will leave a mark…_

"_You know, Isabella should really stay gone, besides she wouldn't want a wimp like you."_

_I stared at him before reeling my own fist back and popping him in the jaw. His hand went straight to his mouth and when he brought it down, it was streaked with blood._

"_You little weasel! You split my lip." He kept wiping away at the blood before decking me in the face, great, I'd come home with a black eye. Frowning, I gave him an uppercut and shoved him away from me. The room was spinning and I had to hold a hand against the wall to steady myself. Apparently, he caught onto this and showed what little heart he had. "Shannon?" He asked and before I could answer, I had passed out._

_End Flashback_

John looked down on me. "Thirty minutes have passed. Better call your friends so they don't totally freak out." He gestured to the beside phone. "And for the record, I didn't mean to give you a concussion."

"Whatever, just…leave." He frowned and rolled his eyes before heading out the door. I dialed the number from memory.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Matt, it's Shannon."

"Where the hell have you been?"

"I'm in the hospital, Matt. I got into a fight with Cena and wound up with a concussion and a black eye."

"Which hospital?"

"Toronto Memorial." I answered.

"I can't go, but I'll send whatever's left of our family…" Matt trailed off. "You have to give me details when I see you again, Shannon."

"I know, Matt. Sorry for missing lunch."

"We were worried sick, Shannon. All you can say for yourself is 'Sorry I missed lunch?'" He chuckled. "Hey, I gotta go, man. Glad to here you're okay, though…"

"Yeah, I'll catch you later." I clicked the phone off and set it back.

Twenty minutes later, the nurse poked her head in. "Mr. Moore, you have some visitors." She smiled sweetly before leaving again. The door swung open and Mickie, Beth, John Morrison, Shane, Cori, Melina and Nattie walked in. Well, the guys walked, the girls practically ran into the room and were now surrounding the bed.

"Should've known he'd send the Divas." I tried to muster up some humor, but they weren't having any of it.

"Buttstick! You got into a fight with Cena?" Cori asked, wincing as she noticed the ugly purple and black markings that surrounded my eye.

"It was just a minor concussion, nothing that'll kill me." I shrugged. "He hit me first."

"Great, you abided by the 'who hit who first' rule." Melina rolled her eyes sarcastically. "It's right up there with the ten second rule."

I laid there, chatting with my friends, or more appropriately, my _family._ Even though it was about half here. Melina and Nattie, along with John had to leave for Smackdown. Soon after that, Cori and Shane had to leave, leaving me with Beth and Mickie.

"Beth, Micks, can I tell you guys something?"

"Shoot." Beth replied.

"Um, well, you guys may or may not know about my not-so-secret feelings for Isabella, and I was just letting you know that when she gets back, I'm going to tell her as soon as possible. I don't care if it's in front of everybody we know."

"That's great, Shannon. Glad to know you've decided to tell her."

"We're also glad that you're found."

"Beth, he was never lost."

"He was most certainly lost. He used to be troubled, hard-headed and just….lost before he realized how he felt about Isabella. Now we're finding the real Shannon." Beth explained her reasoning to Mickie and I couldn't help but smile.

"When do you get released?" Mickie asked.

"Tomorrow, and then I'm heading home for a few weeks of recovery." I answered and they both smiled.

"Great to hear, Shanny. Now if only you were on Raw, again. You became like a brother to us." They both kissed one of my cheeks before leaving.

Beth was right, before I came clean about my feelings for Isabella I was lost. There seemed to be no real purpose for me and I was just…there. Now, I have a reason to be on this earth. I need to protect my family and that includes the one I simply can't live without, Isabella Smith.


	19. Without You

**Okay, it's a bit soon, but I couldn't wait to post this! This is probably the moment everyone's been waiting for!lol. I only own Isabella and my other OCs...um thanks to Angel, who's been beta-reading this for a little while know, so she's a big help, you go girl:) Also, readers of this fic, I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again, lol. READ the fanfic Every Light in the House by Edgeismyhero1217 (Angel) and also read Chapter 16 of All The Right Reasons because it's also for Shanny/Izzy! Um, please vote on my poll, it has to do with this story and it's important!**

**Review, please!lol. Oh and if you do review, don't you even _think_ about flaming me, for I have a fire extinguisher!lol. Seriously though, Flamers have nothing to prove besides the fact that they think they have the power to make people feel like crap. **

**To the Rude Flamers:Nobody likes you, you might as well stop. People will eventually ignore you. Oh and if you don't like it, say it in a polite manner.**

**Polite=Constructive Criticism**

**Rude=Flamer**

**Thanks, and sorry for the rant, I needed to get it off my chest...**

****LadySpoink (or Kiwi, whichever you prefer)****

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Chapter Nineteen: Without You

_*Shannon POV*_

I picked up the journal I had been keeping since I fell in love with Izzy. It had been pretty blank until she left, then I had all this open space to write what I felt because I couldn't say it. The book was damn near full, only a few pages left that I intended to fill within the next week or so. Glancing at my phone's calendar, I sighed. In October, it would've been two months without her.

But it didn't _feel_ like two months, and you think that you can last two months without something, but you can't. Two months and the only thing I truly have to look forward to is Isabella's return. Isabella's two dogs jumped onto my chest and I adjusted the pillow behind my head. I had been ordered to take at least three weeks off for my concussion to heal. The majority of that time will probably be spent in her home. It had become my home as well and it had gotten so bad that it felt _weird _to be in my own home. Weird, right?

Isabella needed to come home. Everything was falling apart in our family. People were arguing and saying things that they didn't mean. Something inside me said that if she came back, everything would go back to being normal.

Shoving the dogs off of me, I went to the dining room table with my pen and book, sat down and began writing another entry…

By the time I was done writing, I had become hungry. Making myself a grilled-cheese sandwich , I returned to my seat in time to see a car pull into the driveway. Shane got out and slowly made his way into the house. He didn't knock, just barged right in and sat down at the table. "I'm not even going to ask about your day."

"I take it I shouldn't ask about your's either?"

"Naw. I gotta get going soon anyway, ECW taping. How's your head? Any amnesia?"

"Thank God no. I wouldn't be able to bear it if I ever forgot Isabella."

"Technically, you'd never know if you forgot her because you'll think you never met her." Shane explained. "You'd be given the second chance you've always wanted."

"Yeah, but she'd remember everything."

"Well then, she has amnesia…"

"I couldn't take advantage of her like that." I interrupted. Whatever lesson he was trying to give me was probably being corrupted by his own problems. "I get it Shane, I should've taken the shot when I had it." I ran my hands over my face. "Why don't you practice what you preach?" I snapped. "Why don't you just _tell_ Cori? She'd understand, okay? She, she wouldn't _leave_ you."

"She's getting into Paul." He replied. "And don't you even bring my personal life into this."

"She'd never date Paul, Shane. You know her."

"Apparently not as well as I thought I did. I have to go, Shan. Bye." He nodded curtly before running a hand through his hair and leaving.

I bit my lip, it wasn't wise to start anything with Shane. We're both in testy moods to begin with, there's no need for us to be testy with each other. It wouldn't accomplish anything…

_**Two Days Later**_

Two days after Shane and I had a little discussion, I knew what I had to do. It was an afternoon where Matt pitched the idea of having a bunch of people over at my house. To 'cheer' me up a little. I guess you couldn't blame him, he was just trying to help. Anyway, I was sitting on the couch in my living room, 'talking' with John Hennigan, even though he was doing most of the talking. Shay hung by his side, having grown a little bit closer to him over the past few weeks.

Absently, I checked my watch. It was time. Excusing myself from the conversation, I went upstairs into my bedroom to grab the suitcase on the bed. Dragging it downstairs, I saw everyone pause to look at me. My eyes flickered over the confused and familiar faces. John, Shay, Lex, Adam, Nattie, Mike, and the rest of the Core Group; all of them were confused. "Sh-Shannon? What are you doing?" Matt asked.

"I need to get my stuff together for the flight later on."

Matt froze. "Where are you going? Vince told you not to step one foot into the arena until you're fully healed."

"I've been without my heart for a while now, Matt. Obviously, it's not coming back for me so I have to go get it."

"You're not making sense Shannon." He ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm not going to go to the next city with you guys."

"Obviously." Matt retorted. "Shan." He began in a softer voice. "Give us a straight answer. Why are you flying out tomorrow, and where are you flying out to?"

"Fine. I'm flying out tomorrow because I _need_ to find my heart. And, I'm flying to Washington."

"Your heart's in Washington D.C.?" Mike asked. John elbowed him and he shrugged. I knew he was acting stupid. He knew what I really meant, he was just stalling, trying to think of a reason for me to stay. He was all for Isabella coming home, but thought she should do so on her own time.

"Seattle, Washington…" I trailed off.

"Seattle?" Shane yelled. "Why won't you just sit back and relax until Isabella comes home? You're taking things a bit too far, Shannon!" He stated. "It's like you're obsessed with her or something. Every word that's been coming out of your mouth has been about Isabella. You're a shell, Shannon, all because of a girl you loved but you were too much of an ass to tell her how you really felt. Maybe you are to blame, maybe it was because of you she left."

"Nothing you say, Shane, will make me stay. I am going to Seattle to find Isabella, and I'm going to try to bring her home. Our family is practically falling apart at the freaking seams, now if you'll excuse me. We all have a plane to catch." I tried to step forward, but he blocked my path. "Let me go, Shane."

"Maybe she's happier without us. Maybe she's happier without you." He stated and Matt put a hand on his shoulder.

"Shane, back off. Don't let your personal life get the best of you."

Shane shook his head and shrugged Matt's hand off, swinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'll be out in my truck."

Cori sighed and apologized before giving me a hug and leaving with Shane. Shortly after, Matt, John, Nattie, Shay, Lex and Adam boarded the 'Smackdown car', which was just where everybody from Smackdown was stuffed into a medium sized vehicle to either the next town or the airport. I joined Mike in my car to drive to the airport.

We drove in near silence before Mike sighed. "What if she's not ready to come home, Shannon? Do you realize what seeing you could do to her, if you find her?"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take, Maybe if she sees that somebody actually cared enough to try and bring her home, she'll want to come home."

"It's a big risk."

"I know, but if Skye were to go missing, how far would you go to find her."

He froze, seeing my point. "I'd kill for her."

"Exactly, and I'm risking everything just to possibly see her or talk to her again." I replied as we got to the airport. Everybody that was at my house was there now, getting checked in and the entire security process. They had a couple minutes before they could board the plane, so they stayed back to talk with me.

They all gave me hugs, some skeptical as to if I was actually going to go to Seattle. "Hey, if you're not back by the time we get home, I am going to go to Seattle and drag both you and Isabella back here." Cori joked, trying not to cry.

Suddenly, the intercom came on. "Ladies and gentlemen, Flight 645 has been delayed until six o'clock. Also, passengers who were on Flight 923, your luggage has been recovered and you have to report to Luggage Retrieval. Sorry for any inconvenience." Click.

"I'll give you inconvenience! A four hour delay? It's called _planning ahead_ and _expecting the unexpected!"_ Lex frowned before letting out a string of curse words, stopping when the old lady next to her glared and shuffled off.

An amused chuckle, followed by the clear, sweet voice caught our attention. "You know, I always wondered why you've never been thrown out of a public facility with a language as colorful as yours."

We all turned to look at the person and I could tell that everyone had wide eyes. She had shoulder length black hair, dazzling pine green eyes and a killer smile. The woman barely stood at five foot three and she wore dark denim jeans, a white and black graphic tank top with a black half-jacket and black high heeled boots. Brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, she smiled and waved.

Matt was the first to talk. "I-Isabella?" His voice came out as a whisper.

I was speechless.


	20. Homecoming

**Okay, here's the next chappy! lol. We're only halfway through this fic, so we still ahve a lot to get done lol. Um go vote on my poll if you haven't already. If u have, thanks you so much and thank all of you for reviewing so far! REad and review, thanks:)**

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Chapter Twenty: Homecoming

_*Isabella POV*_

They all looked at me as if I were the Mona Lisa, or Cleopatra. "Well? Somebody say something." I urged.

"Isabella!" Cori smiled and jumped me, pulling me into a hug. "Darling, we missed you!" That ignited everybody else and soon I was in a pool of people trying to hug me and tell me everything that's been going on. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shannon standing in one spot. He didn't move, he just kept staring in awe and surprise. Nothing about his appearance changed, he still had his blond and black hair, his sparkling jade eyes, and smile that could melt any metal. His personality a mix of sensitivity, loyalty, humor, and devotion. It was all those things and more that made me fall in love with him. I was still in love with him, that was one of the main reasons I came back.

Shannon caught me staring at him and turned to look the other way. He turned back a few seconds later and walked past me, but not before whispering in my ear. "We need to talk. Your house, whenever you get there."

Then he walked off to a desk where he began speaking to an attendant. My other friends pulled me into the deserted airport café.

"How was Seattle?"

"Awful, it rained half the time I was there. I just hated being away from where I belonged. I need to wrestle, I need to be around my crazy, loving, and psychedelic friends."

We talked for a while before I checked my watch. "I'm tired, long flight. I'm gonna head home. I'll see you whenever you guys get back."

"We still have so much to catch up on." Cori laughed.

"I know! My babies probably miss me. Um, how's Shannon been?" I asked.

"Couldn't be better." Lex stated and Matt gave her a look. "What? He couldn't be happier." Matt sighed and I just shrugged, giving everybody one last hug.

"I'll catch you guys later." I waved before going outside and finding my car. "You're still here. I would've thought someone would've stolen you." I chuckled to myself before sliding into the driver's seat and driving back to my house. When I got inside, I didn't see Shannon anywhere, I just plopped myself down on the couch.

Hercules and Hades instantly pounced on me, licking my face and getting all up in my face. "Yes, Mommy's here now." I felt something underneath me and when I felt what it is, I was shocked to pull out a journal. The cover was plain, but when I opened it up, words lined every page. Skimming through it, I saw that all the pages were like that. Every line filled with words. What shocked me was that it was in Shannon's handwriting.

On the inside cover, written across the page was 'Property of Shannon Brian Moore, who is Property of Isabella Smith.' "What the-?" I began to read the journal, entry by entry…

_Day 10_

_I'm surprising myself everyday. I'm curious as to how I even made it this far without packing my things and going to Seattle to find her. Isabella was everything I could ever ask for, and I let her slip through my fingers. I am such a friggin' __idiot__. I had wanted her from the start. My mind realizes that now and I feel like such a fool. How could I pretend to hate her, just because I was with another woman? Crystal didn't pay much attention to me, anyways. The day I fell in love with her was the day she moved in._

_The sun was shining and Crystal was out shopping when I looked out the window to see a short woman directing a bunch of moving men where to put her furniture. Sunlight glistened off her shiny black hair and hit her bare shoulders. She was pale, and it suited her. A man approached her and said something that made her turn and look in my direction. Nodding and running a hand through her hair. At that exact moment, I fell for her and I didn't even know her name…_

About two hours later, I had read the entire thing and tears wouldn't stop falling. Shannon had loved me all along, but pretended to hate me because he thought I was too good for him. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that had Shannon told me back then, we probably would've gotten together and by now, we could've been married, possibly have a kid…

He felt the same way, but didn't tell me. Only because there was never the right time. Any time would've been fine for me…

The door opened and knowing who it was, I began to cry harder. I heard him take his coat off and come and sit next to me. He sat so he was facing me better and turned my head towards his. His eyes glanced from me to the journal and he sighed. "How far did you get?"

"All of it." I whispered. "You'll probably hate me for asking this, but, you didn't _hurt_ yourself, did you?"

"Of course not." He stroked my hair. "I knew that would've only hurt you more, and that wouldn't fly with me. I've already done enough damage to you, anyways."

"Shan?"

"Yeah, Izzy?"

"I'm sorry for leaving."

"It's not your fault, Izzy." He whispered and thumbed away my tears. Slowly, I stood and he followed me into the dining room before I turned and almost ran into his chest.

"Nothing _changed_, Shannon. I only made it two months before I realized that this is the only life I'd _ever_ want to live. Every single day, and I could only ever think about one thing. I was hoping you'd be having a better time than I was, and I was wrong. We were both just as miserable."

"When you say, nothing changed, does that mean…?" He trailed off, eyes staring straight into mine. The jade green orbs caught between happy and sad, as if he was prepared for a negative answer. I was practically chest-to-chest with the man and he put a hand on my neck cautiously, as if needing my approval. This man could have anything he wanted from me and he wouldn't need my approval. "Isabella?" My name rolled off his tongue like he was the only one who was allowed to say it. I only nodded and he put his other hand on the other side of my neck, gently cradling my head as he leaned in and kissed my forehead. "For months, you've been the only thing I could think about." He leaned in again to kiss my cheek as one hand dropped to my waist. Holding my face in his hand, he looked me straight in the eye. "Is there any-"

"Just kiss me." I cut him off and he nodded before kissing my lips softly and gently, but also hungrily. He deepened the kiss and held me as close as I could possibly get; his hands slid to my hips. My arms slithered around his neck as I kissed him back with the same amount of intensity and passion as he administered into it. I ran my hands through his hair and slowly pecked his lips before stopping,

"Isabella." He murmured. "I-I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you, too. It feels good to say it out loud, doesn't it?"

He smirked before twirling a piece of my hair around his finger. Kissing my forehead again, he replied. "It feels even better when you can hear it."

"Shannon?"

"Yeah?"

"Why aren't you in the next town?"

"I have a concussion." He replied slowly.

"Why?" I quickly asked, shocked as I instantly removed my arms from his neck. "Are you okay, what happened?"

"I…got into it with your ex. He said things he shouldn't have and he punched me, so I kind of…fought back. He overpowered me…" He seemed worried.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Only a little." He stated as we made our way into the living room. He laid down on the couch and I kissed his forehead.

"Where?"

"My back, and neck."

"Turn over, and take off your shirt."

He did as I said and I straddled his lower back. I gasped. A large, ugly purplish, black and green bruise was on his shoulder and gingerly, I ghosted a couple fingers over it. Tears began welling in my eyes and before I could stop them, the fell. "Isabella, please don't cry." He turned back over and wiped away my tears. Leaning down, I kissed him lightly before laying down. His arms encircled my waist and held me close. As one of his hands gently played with my hair, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, Shannon wasn't there. Alarmed, I sat up immediately and called out his name. "Shannon?"

"Yeah, Izzy?" He asked as he came back into the room, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Oh, you're still here, thank God. Um, what are you doing?'

"Washing dishes." A silence fell upon us and he leaned over my shoulder and kissed my cheek. "We need to talk. Things between us may not have changed, but that doesn't mean other things didn't."

"I know. Where do you want to talk?"

"The park? It's real quiet there, and at this time, nobody would be around."

"Sure, just let me get dressed." I left the room and as I was walking upstairs, I bit my lip. Finally, I had got what I've always wanted and for once, nothing was wrong. Reaching my bedroom, I unzipped my suitcase. It definitely felt good to be home and as I rooted through the bag, I picked out a pair of denim shorts and a white halter top and pulled them on. Fixing my hair quickly, I bounded down the stairs, nearly running into Shannon.

He caught me, holding his arm around my waist. "Someone's eager." His smile lit up the room and I couldn't even try to wipe the smile off my face. I gave him a quick kiss.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too. Let's go." He put his arm around my shoulders and held me close as he led me out of the house and into the car. Shannon drove trying to focus on the road and not staring at me, even though his eyes did stray to my side of the car every now and then.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm just praying this isn't a dream."

"It's not." I assured him as he pulled into the park. We found a table to sit at and he sat next to me, but still facing me. "Okay, where should we start?"

"Well, things have…changed in the family. Jeff's been arrested, Shane and Cori are having arguments. Lex and Adam are in a storyline together and she and Matt have been arguing as well. Shay's quiet, as usual. That's only direct family. Now, as we move on into the extended family we have Harmony in a storyline with Evan. Honestly, everybody's a bit screwed up since you left."

"Oh, so they were just putting on happy faces earlier?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"When I came in yesterday, at the airport, why did you…avoid me?"

"I wasn't sure if you still felt the same. Besides, it would've been better if we spoke alone." He glanced at me and tilted his head to the side. "Do you want to know what would look really hot?"

"Why not?" I laughed.

He leaned forward. "The tattoo I promised you, wherever you want it, whenever you want it."

"Is it still free?" I asked, a small smile on my face.

"Well, I guess that would be okay." He trailed off before looking back at me. "I'm kidding, of course it's free. Dating the boss _does_ have perks."

"Oh, so we're dating now?" I questioned and his face froze. I waited a few seconds before I kissed his cheek. "I'm kidding, Shan." I was about to kiss him when he stopped me.

"Isabella, there's somebody staring at you."

I looked to see a black car parked close to mine and saw a tall, lanky, older man. He wore black dress pants and a dark blue dress button down shirt along with a yellow and blue Argile sweater vest over it. His hazel eyes were set with a superior gleam and his brown hair was short and close to his head. As he got closer, I turned so my back was pressed against Shannon's chest and he encircled his arms around my waist, loosely, but still tight enough to make sure that whoever this guy was got the picture that Shannon and I were together.

When he got to the table, his weary hazel eyes widened and he gasped. "I can't believe it." He whispered as he turned back towards the car. "Isabella?" He asked, glancing at me.

I glowered at him before standing up. Shannon followed and put his hands on my hips. "Isabella, who is this guy?"

"My stepfather."


	21. Back to the WWE

**So this is the next chappy! Thanks to all who've reviewed so far, they mean so much to me:) I only own Isabella and the OCs I mention. I'd like to give a shout out to my two, fabulous E-Sistas! Angel and Demi, who through oneshots and PMs have inspired me with ideas for my own stories/oneshots. Thank you Angel for Beta-Reading:) Both of you are awesome. **

**Please read and review, Thank You.**

**Kiwi**

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Chapter Twenty-One: Back to the WWE

"He's your stepfather?" Shannon asked as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. I nodded.

"Yeah, but you can use the term 'father' very, very, loosely."

The man tsked. "Is _this_ your poor excuse for a boyfriend or are you just doing charity work?"

Shannon tensed behind me and kissed the top of my head. "Excuse me?" I could tell he was trying to be polite.

"You heard me. Listen, Isabella, I would like to invite you and your…_boyfriend_ to the annual Thanksgiving dinner. If you want to, you can also bring your friends, I am sure my luxurious home will fit however many, or few, people you bring along." He looked from me to Shannon. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Ivan Jones." He was about to shake Shannon's hand, but after taking a second glance at the tattoos, he retracted his hand.

"Why does he have a different last name than you?" Shannon whispered in my ear as Ivan began walking away.

"I changed my last name to my mother's name when she was with my real dad." She replied. "I hate my stepfather and you can see why." Shannon nodded and turned me to face him.

"Sweetheart-" He was about to say something when he phone rang. Rolling his eyes he answered it. "Hello?"

"_Hello, Shannon. How's your concussion?"_

"Um, it's practically healed, I should be on wrestling next week." I pouted and hooked my arm with his, looking up at him. He chuckled.

"_What's so funny?"_

"Well, Vince, do you mind if I bring my girlfriend along?"

"_Your girlfriend?"_

He nodded. "She wants to talk to you." He handed the phone to me and smiled.

"Hello Vince."

"_Isabella?" _He sounded like he choked on his coffee and then someone opened the door to his office. _"I don't care! Get out of my office! I'm speaking to my powerhouse, who might be coming back to give these Divas some dignity! God, Shay, Lex, Cori, Melina, Eve, and Beth can't carry all the weight around here! I swear to God you don't care about this company, otherwise you would've already left instead of standing around, listening to me rant incoherently!" _The person gulped and left, apparently, because his voice returned to normal. _"How may I help you, Miss Smith?"_

"Um, sir I was wondering if I could come back, you know, to the WWE. I don't care where you put me, as long as I'm there and with Shannon, I'm okay with it."

"_Hmmm, well I can only tell you one thing at this point, Isabella." _He paused. _"And that is that you and Shannon need to be in my office, tomorrow. We'll work everything out!" _He hung up and I gave the phone back to Shannon.

"We have to go tomorrow." I stated and he sighed, throwing an arm over my shoulders.

"I barely got to spend any time with you, besides, you just got home. You shouldn't be going out right away. I wanted to spend at least a whole week with you."

"He might put us on the same roster." I said smiling as I slipped my hand into his and walked with him back to the car. "Well, then, let's spend the rest of the day together." He smirked and kissed my forehead as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. He drove back in silence.

The rest of the day was wonderful and the next morning, Shannon woke me up to get ready for the flight. He was sitting next to me, taking the aisle seat and letting me take the window seat. He was also blasting the loudest, harshest metal music ever created. I was trying to read. Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I sighed. "Shannon, turn it down."

He didn't hear me. After trying again, I realized that I'd probably have to resort to an option I would've used six months ago. Smacking his arm as hard as I could, I smirked as he winced and paused his Ipod to look at me. Annoyance flashed over his features before it subsided to amusement. "Yes?"

"I'm trying to read." I stated. He shrugged as if it had nothing to do with him. "Turn it down, Shannon."

His smirk broadened, if possible. "Just like old times, right Izzy?"

Oh, now I got it. He was acting out what probably was a scene in our storybook of hating each other. I nodded, a smirk of my own playing against my lips. "Yeah, just like old times."

"But, it wouldn't be old times if I did this, now would it?" He asked as he slowly leaned in to capture my lips in another kiss. Just over the past day I've gotten accustomed to his kiss. They burned with fire, yet were cold enough to make you freeze up an instantly forget about the world around you. Shannon smirked against my lips as I put my hands on his neck. "No, no, no, _these_ times are much, much better. Hell, I'm lucky to be able to look forward to this everyday."

I chuckled and pulled back so his forehead was resting against mine. "I-It's amazing how what seem to be such small decisions change your life. Vince put us in a storyline together and look what happened. I end up falling in love with the one man I thought I couldn't live with. Which as it turns out, he's the man I can't live without."

"I sure as hell hope we're talking about me here." He looked serious for about five seconds before bursting out in laughter.

_*Shannon POV*_

She smiled and I took her hand in mine, People who had never met us would probably think we've been dating for years, rather than a day and a half. "Isabella, do you want to tell everybody right away, or just let them figure it out?"

"If we tell them right away, all we're going to hear is objections. I say let them figure it out. We'll tell them by showing them, little things, you know?"

"Or, even better, be a couple and just don't say anything about it. It'll be obvious we're together and we won't say anything unless people ask." I suggested. She chuckled.

"Don't ask, don't tell?"

"Yeah." I nodded, just as the plane landed. We got off and got through to Luggage. As I grabbed mine and she grabbed hers, she started laughing. Raising an eyebrow, I smiled. "If you keep breaking out in laughter, we'll get thrown into an asylum."

"It's just that it's weird. Two days ago, I was coming in and now I'm going out again. And It's been two months since I've stepped into a WWE Arena."

"You'll do fine. After all, Raw needs you. We have Alicia Fox going after the Divas Championship. Maryse is out with an injury. Leaving us with Mickie, Gail, Kelly, Alicia, and Rosa, who are the primarily use Divas, even though only two percent of the females named can actually be counted as Divas. Vince hasn't used Jillian or Beth much anymore, so Raw female talent is pretty scarce right now. Lillian's gone. Skye is being used backstage a lot and Harmony is practically collecting dust."

"So almost no real talent is being used?"

"Yeah, we all joke with Mickie, saying she's pulling all the weight around Raw."

"What about Gail?" She asked.

"Breast implant burst." I looked at her with a joking smirk. "Please tell me yours are real."

Rolling her eyes she gently smacked my arm, even though it did actually hurt. That's the thing when your girlfriend can bench 250, she can actually cause pain.

"Yes, 100 percent real." She ran a hand through her hair.

"Perfect, because some of Raw's Divas' boobies are popping."

"You are so immature." She scowled. We had left the airport and were now on our way to the arena. "Anything with Smackdown?"

"Yeah, Jeff's gone, Taker's back. Batista's back, Rey was suspended, but now he's back. Khali had knee surgery. Our used-to-be Scottish McIntyre is back. Hmmm, John H. is in a storyline with Shay, Lex is in a storyline with Adam, who even though he's injured, will be on the show. Oh and get this, remember Jesse?" I waited until she nodded. "He's become Slam Master J, and he's gone gansta." She shook her head in disbelief. "Maria, Michelle, and Layla think they own the place while Eve, Melina, Shay, and Lex aren't getting time to shine. Well, personally, Melina has had enough shots at the title."

"I'm probably going to regret asking this, but what about ECW?"

"Well, I was 'moved' there, but the haven't used me at all. I guess they're waiting for you to come back so I'll have a place to fit in. Um, Cori is miserable. She and Shane have been arguing. Shane's back with Jamie. The Bellas have been disgracing the Diva name. It doesn't matter where they put you, they just need you." I shrugged.

"Wow. I just hope they welcome me back."

"Why wouldn't they?"

"I've seen people who have returned after leaving and they don't exactly get welcome parties." Isabella gazed out the window and I turned into the arena parking lot. Gathering everything, we mad eour way inside and started maneuvering around the halls. As we neared catering, where most people would be at the moment, she squeezed my hand.

Leaning down, I kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, just relax and you."

"You sound like a self-confidence coach." She replied quietly as we turned the corner to the bustling, noisy food area. At first nobody noticed, which caused Isabella to relax a little. Then, out of nowhere…

"Hey, Shawty!" We both turned to see Randy standing a few feet away, Cody and Ted beside him. Randy smiled, an actual smile, not the cocky smirk he usually had on T.V. Isabella grinned, dropping her stuff and running to hug him. Chuckling, I followed her. She was hugging all three Legacy members before hugging Randy again. "We need you on Raw. Please tell me you're on Raw." He pleaded as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know yet, Thunder Thighs." She smirked. Back in the day, Isabella was a backstage interviewer for Raw and had valeted fore Randy, so they had become close friends.

Tapping her other shoulder, she whirled around to face me. "You dropped something." I had her forgotten bag in my hand.

"Shanny, can you hold it while I catch up with my Boyz?" It was a running joke between them. They called her 'Shawty' cause of her height and she called them her 'Boyz'. She smiled and gave me a quick peck. "Please, babe?" She asked, pouting. Now, I couldn't resist. Throwing it over my shoulder, I nodded before throwing an arm over her shoulder and pulling her close to me. A strange thing was that we would've done this, even if Randy, Ted, and Cody weren't there.

Speaking of Legacy, they were obviously confused as they looked back and forth between Izzy and I, speechless. "Did you just kiss, Shannon?" Cody whispered.

"Is there a problem with that?" Isabella asked sweetly, with a glint in her eye, reminding Cody of when she beat him in the ring a while ago.

"Of course not, it'll just take some getting used to." Ted smiled.

Randy just laughed. "As long as he doesn't hurt her and keeps his hands to himself for at least ten months, it'll all be good." My face paled and he laughed again. "I'm kidding about the 'ten months' thing, but I'm serious about the hands and hurting thing. Cause her one milliliter of pain, and I'll kill you."

"Now, you know they care when they threaten your boyfriend right in front of you." Isabella turned to hug Paul and Shawn. "We missed you, girlie." Paul interjected. "And we'd like to stay and chat, but Big Mac wants to see us. Welcome back, Isabella, hopefully, you're on Raw." They each hugged her before going on.

Randy, Ted, and Cody had to leave too, for business matters, as they said it. Isabella smiled and began walking with me down the hall, to the locker rooms. "Nobody we knew was in catering." She sighed.

"Besides Legacy and DX." I pointed out.

"Yeah." Isabella ran a hand through her hair. I just smiled and put my hands on her waist, letting the bags drop to the floor. She leaned up to kiss me. Brushing a lock of hair away from her face, I was deepening the kiss when two taunting chuckles made us stop. Without looking, I could tell who it was.

"Well, look who's _finally_ crawled back, it's the losers. Isabella Smith and Shannon Moore."

"Didn't we get rid of you?" The other person laughed, it was male and my worst thoughts came true. Pulling away, I kept an arm around Isabella's waist as we stared eye to eye with John Cena and Kelly Kelly.


	22. A Raw Goodbye

** Hey there, sorry for such a late update, I've been busy and had a lot of stuff going on, my apologies. Um, I only own Isabella and a few OCs, otherwise, I own none of the people mentioned in this story. I'd like to thank my Beta, Angel for getting this corrected and proofread as soon as possible, thanks e-sis:) Also, I'd like to give a lock of Kelly's hair to all my fabulous readers, jk. Um, this is your last chance to vot on my poll for Isabella's new entrance song, so go vote if you haven't already. If you have voted, thank you very much:) Please read and review... I think that's it...lol, sorry for such a long author's note:) **_

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_*Isabella POV*_

I frowned as the duo stepped closer and I ran a hand through my hair. "What do you two want?"

"We want you off Raw."

"Kelly, I don't even know what brand I'm on yet, okay? That's what Vince wanted to talk to me about."

She smirked. "Hopefully he'll banish you to a lower class brand."

"It doesn't matter where I go, as long as I'm back. And trust me, I'm not finished with either of you."

Just then, Vince strode up. Shaking my hand, he smiled. "It's good to have you back, Isabella. I'll be seeing you in my office at the end of the day, so you can just chill out and catch up with old friends." He smiled before giving Shannon a look. "As soon as we figure her storyline out, you're on the next flight to ECW."

Shannon merely nodded and put a hand on my shoulder. "Yes, sir."

"Good, I'll see you later then." He did his signature walk, which I guess was done reflexively, and went down a different hallway.

"Yeah, he's on ECW now, so much for your plans on staying together. You know he wouldn't give the former backup of this show to ECW. He'd rather have you pummeled on Raw." Kelly shrugged as if it were obvious.

"We'll see about that." I stated and turned to look at John.

He sighed. "Are you going to press charges?"

I instantly knew what he was talking about, I had almost forgotten until I saw him today. I had gotten over him, even if he didn't think so. "Of course not, I have no evidence. But, Cena, I'll make your girlfriend's life a living hell. She'll be begging me to leave."

"I already am." She scoffed, fingering her long, golden locks that were probably fake. I only smirked and walked away, Shannon following behind me.

"Izzy, you don't even know where you'll be, how can you make her miserable?" He smiled. "Although, it would be hilarious to watch." Shannon snaked an arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head. Around the corner came Kofi, along with Team RAW. I smiled as the ones who hadn't seen me before swarmed me.

Big Show and Mark paid no attention to me, while Jack glared at me and ran his tongue over his teeth. Kofi and Cody greeted me warmly, after all, they were the few I had gotten along with. "Hey, there, Izzy. Rejoining Raw?" Kofi asked.

I shrugged. "Possibly, hard to say for sure. I could go anywhere, really. There's just some things I have to take care of and then I'll probably be done with Raw. My career needs to take off in another brand."

"Aw, we missed you terribly." Kofi smiled. "But good luck with whatever you choose."

"Thanks Kofi." I hugged him before taking Shannon's hand in mine. "We have to get going, a lot of people to see in so little time." As Shannon and I walked away, I could tell Kofi was smiling. Shannon and I walked around a bit, smiling and chatting with backstage workers as we went.

Checking my watch, I sighed at the time. "Shan, I have to go see Vince."

"I have to catch a flight." He smiled and took my face in his hand. "Keep me posted." He kissed me before getting up and slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'm assuming one of the Divas will give you a ride?"

"Mel and Eve." I explained and he kissed my forehead.

"I wish I didn't have to leave."

"What Vince wants, Vince gets." I shrugged and he chuckled. It seemed we would probably be spending a lot of time apart, after we had spent only a few days together after two months of no contact.

"It's still not fair. I'm losing you again and it's like I'm never going to fully be with you."

"He might move me to ECW or Smackdown." I stated and he just shook his head.

"There's no way he'll put you on ECW. People miss you too much and there's no way he'll let you drop to a 'lower show'."

"Shannon." I sighed and wrapped my arms around his waist. "You know that I love you and I know that you love me. No matter what happens, I'll still love you. If we have to, we'll pull off a separate-brand relationship. It may be hard, but we can do it, okay?"

He smiled and kissed me. "You know, you're very good at pep talking, maybe you should've been a cheerleader."

"Then I'd be prancing around the ring like Alicia Fox, Rosa Mendes, and Kelly Kelly; _not_ gonna happen, Shanny." He laughed and kissed the top of my head. "See you later, Shannon."

"You'll be hearing from me soon, I'll call you tomorrow." He replied, he smiled and I smiled back as he walked down the hallway. Turning around, I walked to Vince's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

"Um, Vince?" I asked as I slid into his office. His expression changed form annoyance to a slight cheerfulness.

"Izzy! Please, take a seat." He gestured to the seat across from his desk and I sat down. "So, how've you been?"

"Good, thanks for asking. So what are your plans for me?"

"I am going to have you on Raw tonight. You'll come out whenever you feel it would fit best and make an impact, then you can go to whichever brand you choose." Vince explained.

"That's…it? There's no elaborate plot or anything?"

"Pretty much, just keep it PG and you'll be fine."

I nodded and smiled as Vince bid me goodbye. Quickly, I went back to the locker room and shuffled through my bag. On the bench beside me, Mel laughed.

"Excited, much?" The Latina asked.

"Yeah, my first night in over two months."

"You better pray you don't have a match, you've been out of the ring long enough to get some ring rust." Kelly scoffed.

"You better watch it, Kelly. I'm not letting everything you've done go. Now if you don't mind, I have a show to get ready for." I walked past her and finished getting ready.

An hour later, I stood on top of the ramp as Riot by Three Days Grace blasted out. Kelly was in the ring, facing Gail Kim and they were about to start when I interrupted. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. You may be wondering what I'm doing here tonight, where I've been for the past two months, and why I just interrupted this match. Well, I'm here tonight to say that Isabella has officially come back to the WWE!" I waited as the cheers settle down.

"Over the past few months my life had taken some very unexpected turns and the pressure became too much, so I had to take a break. But I'm back now, doing what I love and making my fans happy, y'all are the main reason I came back, thank you for all the support. Now, the reason I stopped this match is because I just got done talking to our guest hosts tonight, and after I told them the…issue I have with Kelly Kelly, they agreed to let me…do some alterations." I paused before going on.

"Kelly Kelly, here, has caused me some…pain and drama, and has made my life hell." I saw Kelly smirk, but I ignored her. "And we all know that I take crap from nobody so, Kelly, you and I have a match tonight. Instead of facing Gail, you'll be facing me. And, here's my favorite part, it's a Hair vs. Hair match…and it begins right now!" I dropped the mike and slid into the ring just as Gail gave me a hug and left the ring. I was wearing black and silver wrestling tights with a silver halter top and black combat boots.

Kelly looked shocked and glanced worriedly at the barber shop set up at the top of the ramp. While she was distracted, the bell rang and I quickly Irish-whipped her into the corner. Then, I ran towards her and brought my knees to her face. As she put her hand to her face, I took her by the head and snapped her into a neckbreaker. Seconds later, I was on the top rope performing a moonsault to pin her for the victory. The entire arena was full of shocked faces and I dragged Kelly up the ramp and strapped her into the barber's chair.

She looked up at me, as if pleading for mercy and she did cry out. "I'm sorry Isabella! Please let me go!" Tears were flooding her eyes and I could hear Jerry Lawler saying something about 'how a beautiful young woman was going to lose her hair'. If only they knew how unpleasant Kelly actually was. Ignoring Kelly's mercy plea, I picked up a pair of scissors and began snipping at the long, blond tresses.

Chuckling, I snipped at her hair until it was a very short, very botched pixie cut. Then, I pulled out the shaving cream and razor. Lathering her head, I smirked and watched as she tried to get away, but failed miserably. Pulling the razor over her scalp I laughed and soon finished the look.

Wiping her now bald head of the shaving cream, I laughed harder. She looked terrible bald and she would have to suffer with trying to grow her hair back. I unlatched Kelly and threw her to the side. Picking up a mike, I spoke again.

"What you just saw, was justice for the personal dilemmas she has put me and my family through. And what you just saw, was the last match I'll have on Raw. You see here, I love Raw, but it's not the place for me. There's only one place that can handle the extreme Isabella. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the Land of Extreme itself, ECW!"


	23. Trouble Already?

**Okay, voting is over, but you won't find out which song won until her ECW debut chappy, lol. Thank you Angel for beta-reading this. I only own my OCs and nothing else. Oh, and sorry if this chappy is a tad boring:) Um, Read, review and enjoy:)**

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*_Shannon POV*_

I sat with Shane, Cori, and Jay in catering, chatting and catching up. "So, how's Isabella?" Shane asked.

"Great, I still don't know what brand she's on. I told her I'd call." I trailed off, taking my cell phone out of my pocket. Shane laughed and shook his head.

"Or you could just ask her." He nodded behind me and I turned to see Izzy standing there. I smiled and stood up to hug her. She smiled back and kissed me. I could hear Cori 'awww' and Jay and Shane made gagging noises. Pulling away, I flipped them off before sitting back down. Izzy laughed and sat on my lap. I snaked my arms around her waist and she put an arm over my shoulders.

"Guess what?" She asked.

"What?" I replied and she smiled.

"I'll be out in the ring next week." She stated and I raised my eyebrow.

"I figured that, since Vince wouldn't let such talent go to waste." I concluded as I took a drink of root beer.

Isabella giggled and patted my shoulder. "Let me finish. As I was saying, I'll be out in the ring next week, as _your_ tag team partner." She poked me in the chest. "And as ECW's newest Diva."

"You're kidding." I muttered before I finally let her information sink in. I smiled again and stood up to wrap her in a hug and kiss her. "That's great! I can't believe he's letting us be together on the same brand." I laced my fingers with hers.

"It's a blessing. He wouldn't do this for just anybody." She replied.

"He likes you." I smirked. "You know why? 'Cause you don't complain about the storylines. You give him the matches he wants to see. You're sweet and smart, sexy, powerful, responsible, and everything he'd ever want or need in an employee. Even more than that, unlike half the Divas working,you actually have some meat on your bones. The guys think twice when they mess with you and the girls know better. You're just…the most wonderful person I've ever met."

"God Shannon, you're being sweeter than an ABC Family Christmas." Shane chuckled, which brought our attention to them. "You do know it's been, like, three months since I've actually spoken to Izzy, right?"

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've chatted with anyone." Isabella smiled and kissed my cheek. "Why don't you go back to the hotel room, drop off my stuff and go to the gym. I'll meet you there in an hour or so, okay?"

"Sure." I smiled back and gave her a quick hug before leaving her with our friends. As I walked down the hall, I smiled. Isabella was on ECW, and she was teaming with me. Once again, fate had worked in our favor and it made me wonder how much longer will our luck last. I mean, she comes home, she still wanted to be with me, then she gets her job back and gets the storyline back where she was teaming with me.

I was navigating the hallway when I bumped into someone. "Sorry." I stated and looked at who it was. Paul Burchill, hmm, isn't this the guy Shane had told me to watch out for?

"Oh, it's okay, Shannon. That new Diva is Isabella, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, why?" I questioned back, now somewhat understanding what Shane was talking about. He seemed very…invasive on certain things.

"Oh, just curious. Is she single?"

"No."

"Is she close friends with Cori, Shane, or Jay?" He continued to ask. Now, it was getting a little bit more like interrogating than a friendly conversation.

"Um, I'm running late for an errand. I gotta go, sorry to cut this short. Bye, Paul." I quickly, yet discretely walked away as fast as I could. As I got to the hotel, I began to wonder why Paul had asked such strange questions. It's barely been a day and I already have to watch out for somebody, Shaking my head, I wondered when anyone would just let me be happy and worry free for once.

Finally, I made it to the gym to see Isabella already there and chatting with Shane, Cori, John, Shay, and Jay. As I approached, she smiled and kissed my cheek. "Hey, slowpoke, what took ya so long?"

"I kept getting sidetracked." I replied and she nodded as she hooked her arm with mine.

"Shannon, um, next week is my family's Thanksgiving dinner and you know how my step dad invited me? Well, we're not going."

"Yes we are." I stated and she raised an eyebrow at me. "Izzy, it would be good for the both of us. I get to learn about your stepfather and you two can cross whatever bridge you're stuck on."

"The problem is, I don't want to make nice with him. He's tried to control me since I was eight. I can barely talk to him without him insulting me every five seconds. He even insulted you and he doesn't even know you. Shannon, I just…don't want to go through all that again."

"He said we could bring friends." I sighed, understanding her point of view. Taking her hand, I smiled. "We'll bring the family, shock him."

"Yeah, we'd be delighted to go." Cori chuckled. "It would be a great retreat from work."

"I'm in." Shane replied.

"Me too." Jay nodded

"I-I'd care to go as well." Shay smiled sweetly and John nodded in agreement.

"Okay then, majority rules. Next week on the 25th, we'll drive to my stepfather's house, spend the night, wake up and spend Thanksgiving there, then we spend another night and go home on the 27th. Okay?"

A chorus of 'yeahs' filled the room. "Okay, then, now that we have a game plan, I'm going to go and talk to Tiffany." She smiled and kissed my cheek before going.

When I turned back to the group, they were already talking. "So, what do you know about her stepfather?" John asked.

"Well, apparently he's 'evil in evil's truest form', well, that's what Izzy said." Shane answered and ran a hand through his hair.

"S-she hasn't said anything about him to u-us." Shay shrugged and Cori nodded in agreement.

"It was one of the things she never told us about." Cori stated.

"Yeah, just like she never told us where she was going." Jay frowned.

"Correction, she did tell us where, she just never specified the exact location." Shane corrected.

"Guys, it doesn't matter. She's here now and that's what counts. I'm sure we'll all have a huge heart to heart when we drive to her step-dad's house. Okay, Shay, John, don't you have a flight to catch."

"Y-yes, um, we'll see you all later." Shay smiled softly again and walked away with John. After a while, I went back to the hotel to find Izzy sitting on the bed, gazing out the window. When I entered, she jumped and smiled.

"Hey, Shan."

"Izzy, I know you don't want to go to your stepfather's but-"

"It's okay Shannon. I'll suck it up, go, deal with whatever happens and hopefully get back in one piece."

I sat next to her, wrapping one arm around her and pulling her close to me. She rested her head on my shoulder. Kissing the top of her head, I gently rubbed her shoulder. "Isabella?"

"Hm?"

"Do you miss Seattle?"

"Not in the slightest." She replied and I nodded.

"Why not?" I asked curiously. There had to be something there that made her stay for as long as she did.

"It always rained. I didn't know anybody and it was chaotic. I had no one I could trust and none of my friends were there. _You_ weren't there and that's why I left Seattle. If I needed anything, it was you."

"I hope you know I was on my way to Seattle the night you came home."

Isabella smiled. "We both missed each other so much that we try to get to each other on the same day. I'm just glad that we actually were at the same place, same time."

"Yeah. We got lucky."

"It seems as though we've been lucky a lot lately. Are you thinking about the moment our luck runs out?"

"It'll happen. Sooner or later."

"I just hope it's later rather than sooner." She muttered.

"I know, me too." I rested my head on top of hers as she laid down. I rested next to her and stroked her hair. Isabella quickly fell asleep, after all, she did have a busy day. Kissing her temple, I slowly drifted off as well.


	24. Stepfather

**Here's A Thick Line Between Love and Hate, and to be brutally honest...there's only a few chappies left:( But fear not, I might right a sequel!It depends what you guys think at the end of the story. Anyways, I only own my OCs(there's a lot of them,lol). Thank you Angel for giving me a second opinion cuz I wasn't sure if I chould post this chapter, she beta read it and now I am much more happy with it, so thanks Angel! Um, please read, review, and enjoy!(oh and check out the poll on my profile:)**_

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_*Isabella POV*_

Shannon could tell that I was nervous. It wasn't the fact that there were almost six of us packed into a car that seated four or that my debut was next week. It was solely the fact that we were heading towards a very…unpleasant destination; my step dad's house. Had this been any other year, I wouldn't have came, but this year, my family had insisted. No, not my birth family, no one from my biological family was still alive. All that was left was my evil stepfather and his children who had taken after his…judgmental ways.

"Izzy, I'm sure everything will work out fine."

"I doubt that. Every single one of us has something he hates." I scoffed.

Shannon's eyebrow raised. "Like?"

"Tattoos, piercings on guys, hair longer than your shoulders on guys, anybody who doesn't have an occupation in the field of medical science or law, any sort of accent or stutter, awkwardness, clumsiness, and people from foreign places."

"Why does he hate all that stuff?"

"I honestly don't know why." I shrugged.

"Okay then, what _does_ he like?" Cori asked.

"Young women with big boobs and long legs." I answered and she instinctively wrapped her coat around herself. "Oh and blonds."

"Well, that's just fantastic!" Shane frowned.

"Hey, you're the ones who wanted to come." I mumbled. "Turn here." I instructed Shannon and he pulled onto a long dirt road that gave way to an asphalt blacktop area. "And we're here." I stated, but no one said anything. I knew they were staring at the house.

It was an old, Victorian styled mansion that reached five stories into the air and took up about 45 acres of land. It was the house I lived in from when I was ten, to when I was 18. Eight years of taking his crap. In no way was it a beautiful home to me.

Everybody got out and we went up to the front door, where Shannon was about to ring the doorbell when the front door opened, revealing a tall man in his mid-seventies. "Why good evening sirs and madams." He stated, his gray mustache bouncing with every word. The man had thin gray hair that covered mainly the back and sides of his head. After all, he was old and the huge bald spot on his head gave it away more than anything. As he looked us over, his pale green eyes widened in shock as he noticed me. "Oh my sweet little Bella!"

Instantly, all eyes were on me. The man smiled wider and ushered us in before closing the door and hugging me. "Bella, dear, you've become quite a charming lady!" He laughed. "I always knew you'd have so many friends."

Hugging him back, I smiled. "Weston, it's great to see you!"

"Well now, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" He asked and I pulled back to introduce him.

"Of course. Guy's, this is Weston. Feel free to call him Wes."

Wes chuckled. "I'd actually prefer it."

I stood beside Shannon and laced my fingers with his. "This is Shannon…my boyfriend."

"I see, and I'm sure you're taking very good care of Bella?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sir was my grandpappy! Call me Wes, seriously, it's the only time I'll be called it until the next time my family comes to visit, which is hardly ever." Wes explained as I moved down my line of eagerly awaiting friends.

"This is Shane and Cori."

Both of them shook hands with Wes and he smiled. "I remember back in the day where having hair as long as yours, sonny, was unheard of!" He stated as he met Shane. "But you, as the young people say these days, 'rock it'?" He turned towards Cori. "And you, my dear, have some of the prettiest eyes I've seen in a while." He moved down the line, and I knew that he was going to finish this by himself.

"I'm John." John gave a polite smile as he shook Wes' hand.

"I-I'm Shay."

"Ah, John and Shay. Shay, if I do say so myself, your hair is a beautiful golden shade. I believe, if I do say so myself, it was the same shade as my darling Bethany." His eyes stared off in memory until he shook his head and smiled again. "Thank you all for joining us."

"Um, I have a question. Why do you call Izzy 'Bella'?" Shannon asked.

"You see here, sonny, Isabella's mother and father always called her Bella. They said it your laugh and personality reminded her of the chiming of bells, and when they died, I took over the parental role for Izzy. Her stepfather was always crooning over his own children and she looked to me and the rest of the staff for guidance. So we used her nickname, Bella and since then, she hasn't allowed anyone to call her that besides us. You see here, I was her mother's butler/housekeeper for her entire life, so when she moved in with the stepfather, I came along as well."

"Speaking of your stepfather, where is he?" Cori asked.

As if on cue, four people came out of the dining room. Two were about thirty-five, the woman was dressed in a evening dress while the other was dressed in a suit. One was probably twenty-five and had her arm hooked with my stepfather's and was dressed in a skimpy cocktail dress that any of the Divas would consider scandalous. Trust me, it was short. Then there was my stepfather, standing with his eyes narrowed as he saw us. And if I'm right with the math, he had just turned 50.

"Weston, I see you have met our…guests." He cleared his throat as Shane began to introduce himself. "Oh, no need. I do not need, nor do I wish to, know your names." I could see Shane mentally roll his eyes. "Okay, I'm going to give you all nicknames I can remember."

"You will be Brian, because I find your middle name so much more pleasant than your first." He stated to Shannon, then he went on to Shane and Cori. "You, with the beard will be Hoodlum, because your hair and facial hair make you look very…criminal. And you," He pointed to Cori, "will be Hoodlum's Date."

Cori looked like she was about to go off on him, but Shane tapped her hand and shook his head. Reluctantly, she shut her mouth. Then he got to John and Shay.

"You, with the tan, will be Narcissus, because you look like you're in love with yourself. And finally, you with the blond hair. You will be…Blondie. Okay, so let's go eat dinner." He led us all into the dining room and we all took a seat.

"Guys, don't eat the food. It's lobster and caviar." I mumbled to them and I could swear John visibly shivered. "And escargot and all sorts of fancy and gross food." They nodded and just scooped the foods they could identify on their plates.

"So, Blondie, where do you work?"

"W-well, Mr. Jones, I-I work for the WWE."

"So you're a whore that prances around in skimpy clothing?" He asked abruptly and John's face turned red with anger. Shay, who wasn't one for conflict, grabbed John's sleeve and they whispered back and forth until John finally gave up and slumped back into his seat.

"N-no, sir. I am actually o-one of the most cl-clothed Divas."

"What's with the stutter? Is English your second language or what?"

Now I could see Shay's face turn red. "Ivan, please, introduce me to that one over there." The twenty-five year old asked as she played with a strand of blond hair and pointed to me.

"Of course, dear. Isabella, this is your stepmother, Ivy. Her twenty-sixth birthday is in January."

Rolling my eyes, I sighed and Shannon took my hand. My step-dad took this as a golden opportunity.

"So, Brian, you said you and Isabella were dating, right?" Shannon nodded, so he continued. "Have you had sex yet? I mean, you two have probably been dating for over a month now."

"Excuse me, sir, but that's private information." Shannon replied calmly.

"Mmmhmm." He murmured, as if not interested. "So you all work for the WWE?" As we all nodded he laughed. "My two children over here, Ian and Ivory are lawyers. They're putting terrible people behind bars while you run around, flailing your arms like idiots and acting tough."

_*Shannon POV*_

It went on like that for twenty minutes. Insulting comments after insulting comments were being thrown at us and everybody's patience was wearing thin. We all acted calmly because we were trying to be polite, and sooner or later, somebody was bound to break. And as it turns out, that person was Isabella.

"So I see you're turning out to be the talentless, worthless, and all out disappointing piece of trash I always knew you were going to be. It makes me ashamed to have married your mother. After all, it was only to get more money." Ivan shrugged and Isabella jumped up from her seat.

"Don't you even try to go there! You can insult me, you can insult my friends, but I draw the line at insulting my mother! She was better than you, than your little wife over here, and better than your children. No, she wasn't a doctor or anything like that, but she was the most honest, loving and caring person you would ever meet and you were lucky to know her. She cared about you, even though you didn't care about her. My mother was strong and that's probably why she stuck with it for so many years. Don't go on about how wonderful and perfect you and your family are when it's actually a mess." She fumed and waved her arm to gesture towards us. "_This_ is my family, hell it's not even half of my family. I have people who love and care about me whereas you just have your self-righteous, pompous, and snobby children who don't give a damn about other people."

Isabella took a deep breath before continuing. "Do you have any idea what _we_ do on a daily basis. Everyday it's get up, get dressed, go to meetings and charity events to make people happy. We've raised thousands of dollars competing on game shows for foundations and hospitals around the nation. Then it's go back to the hotel, sleep and start the whole process over again. I love what I do, yes, it's tiring and I barely get any sleep but it makes me feel like I'm doing something for these kids who look up to us. I'm sick and tired of you saying it's nothing more than muscles and acting because it's not. In fact, I'm sick and tired of you." She growled and stepped back to walk towards the door.

"Izzy." I started when I heard her say four words that no one would expect to come out of her mouth.

"I need a drink." And then, she walked out of the door. Seconds later, the roar of an engine taking off down the driveway faded into silence.

I jumped up and grabbed my coat. "I'll go get her." I sighed and left the house as quickly as possible. As it turns out, she took what I assumed to be the butler's car. After all, he was the one standing by my car, holding the door open.

"She couldn't bear to leave you without a vehicle." He stated as he shut the door behind me and waved as I set off.

Driving through the streets, I frowned and kept a firm grasp on the steering wheel. She had very right to blow up at him, but she didn't have to threaten her health. I was beyond worried. She stated that she 'needed a drink', and she has never had a drop of alcohol in her life. As I came upon the town, I scouted every bar and pub and restaurant I could find until I saw the shiny silver Camaro sitting in the parking lot. Parking beside the car, I got out and went inside the bar.

Isabella wasn't hard to find. She was the one in the pretty white dress that everybody kept staring at. As I walked up behind her, I heard her talking to the bartender. "I'll have two vod-"

"Make that two waters instead." I interrupted and she scowled before she realized it was me. The bartender nodded and turned away as I sat down next to her.

"You can't tell me whether I can drink or not." She replied.

"Yeah, but do you really want to blow off 29 years of sobriety, just because you got mad?"

"No…" She trailed off.

"Besides, you wouldn't be able to handle vodka. The last time I had vodka, I was tripping and stumbling all over the place. I was disoriented and…"

"I know, Shan. I drove you home." She replied and I put my hand over hers. "And you kissed me."

"Who would've thought…" I laughed as she hooked her arm with mine. "Feel better?"

"Yes." Isabella replied as I paid the bartender for the waters and left. He glared at us as he looked at the two paid for, yet untouched waters before rolling his eyes.

I walked her to the car and she frowned. "What about Wes' car?"

"He can pick it up in the morning." I replied and she got into the car beside me. "Do you want to stay with your step-dad?"

"No."

"Good, then I'm not the only one. We have to though."

"We'll hide in the rooms for the next two days." Izzy chuckled before smiling at me.

"As long as I get to hide with you and not Shane. I love him like a brother, but he snores worse than Vickie snorts."

"Deal." She laughed as I pulled into the driveway to her stepfather's house.


	25. More Trouble

**Okay, so this chappy has some drama, lol. I only own my OC, Isabella and whatever OCs I mention in this chappy, which would be Cori and Shay. If you haven't please go vote on my poll and thank you to those who have already voted:) Thank you those who have reviewed so far, much love goes out to all of you, you're the main reason I've stuck with this story,lol:) Thank you Angel for beta-ing this chappy:)**_

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_*Shannon POV*_

As we reentered the House of Doom, as I had recently dubbed it, Izzy held onto my hand tighter. I leaned over and kissed her temple. The family wasn't at the table, but Wes was cleaning up it up. "Where is everybody?" I asked him.

"They too became fed up with Ivan, so I let them have the keys to their rooms. I hope you remember the layout of this house, Bella, I fear your friends may have gotten lost." He chuckled and Izzy chuckled as well before leading me up the winding staircase. Soon, we got to her room and plopped down on the bed. Surprisingly, our suitcases were already here and waiting for us.

"That butler of yours is pretty cool. We should totally bring him home with us."

"Shannon, we are not stealing my mom's butler." She chuckled as she gathered a tank top and a pair of shorts. Isabella went into the adjoining bathroom and I ended up following her.

"You never really told me about your mother." I stated and she sighed.

"Go out there and wait like a good boy, and I'll tell you." She kissed my forehead and I raised an eyebrow."

"Yes, ma'am." I gave her a cheesy smile and waited on the bed. A few minutes later, she came back out. Even though she was wearing something as simple as a tank top and shorts, she was still as gorgeous as ever and it made me realize how lucky I was. While she was in the bathroom, I changed into a pair of sweatpants.

Izzy sat between my legs and rested her head back against my chest. I draped my arms over her shoulders and smiled. "Took ya long enough."

"Shut up, do you want to hear about my mom or what?" She asked, a smile playing on her lips and I nodded.

"Okay, my mom must've been the kindest person on Earth. She never had a mean thing to say about anybody. I never remember her being upset or angry about anything, even when my Dad died. She'd say that he was in a better place. My mom was strong and passionate, loving and sweet."

"Kind of like you." I replied and she smiled.

"You could say that. She would've liked you Shannon. Both of my parents would have liked you. I really wish you could've met them."

"How do you know they would like me? After all, I would be dating their only daughter." I asked as I laid on my back. Isabella moved as well so her head rested on my chest and her arms were around my waist. Placing a hand around her back, I kissed her forehead.

"Well, you're strong, responsible, good-natured, loyal, respectable, kind, and passionate about the things you love." She replied.

"Yeah, but had you not figured out the truth with Cena, you'd still be dating him and we'd be friends."

"You are totally different from Cena. First of all, you love me. My parents would've spotted that right away. Second of all, I trusted you more than I ever trusted John. He was never there, you always were."

"Izzy, I have to tell you something about Cena." I stated, knowing that now was better than never.

"What?"

"John was…planning on marrying you to get you into bed, then break it off…" I sighed as I saw her fists clench. "I'm sorry, Izzy. I-I…It…I'm just glad it didn't happen that way." I stammered.

Isabella relaxed and kissed my jaw. "You wouldn't marry me just for sex, would you Shannon?"

"Of course not. I love you, Isabella. I really do. It was hell living without you and I wouldn't jeopardize our relationship, just because I wanted to 'get some'. Besides, if I did marry you, just for sex, and you found out, you'd leave me for sure. And I just can't live without you. I'd rather have you hate me than live without you and you know how much I hated having you hate me."

"I know. I'm sorry I asked, Shan."

I rubbed her back. "Don't be sorry. It was a legitimate question and you needed a legitimate answer."

"Thanks. Do you want to go home tomorrow? I won't mind."

I chuckled. "Sure, but I'm starving. What time is it?"

"Almost five, why?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm getting some real food." I said getting up. Isabella followed and we went down the stairs and into the dining room. Our little family was all at the table, indulging in home cooked pizza.

"You guys didn't tell us?" I asked.

"You were having a bonding moment, I don't know about anybody else, but I wasn't about to go interrupting on a relationship-building experience." Cori stated as she took a slice of pizza. Izzy and I sat down and took some pizza. "Your stepfather who has a PhD in being evil has gone upstairs."

"Oh. I'm really sorry guys. I shouldn't have let you come." Izzy sighed.

"It's okay, we wanted to come." John shrugged. "So, we should start planning a Christmas party."

"J-john, it's only November." Shay replied.

"So? It's so we can plan it perfectly and have time to get the perfect present. Let's draw names from a hat." He smiled and grabbed his hat and a pad of paper. Neatly scribbling everybody's names on the sheet of paper, the ripped them apart, folded them, and put them into the hat. Passing it around, Cori and Shane drew names, then Shay and John. When John drew the name, his smile gave it away, well maybe not to his 'Secret Santa'. Then Izzy drew a name and she laughed and shook her head. I tried to peek at it, but she stuffed it down her shirt.

"Hey! No looking!" She smirked, knowing it was the one place I couldn't grab it without being labeled 'pervert'.

Then I drew the last name in the hat and looked at the name neatly written across the paper. Butterflies fluttered around my stomach as I held the paper tight in my fist. A smile nearly crossed my face, but I fought to keep it off. I had drawn the perfect name and I already knew what the present was. I just hoped it would be perfect enough…

As it turns out, we did leave the next morning and I doubted anybody was bothered. We loaded ourselves back into the car along with our suitcases and began to drive back. "So, you debut later on, right?" I asked Izzy and she nodded.

"Next week, babe. The team of Izzy and Shannon are back." She chuckled and ran a hand through her black locks.

"Then what do you plan on doing for the next day or so?"

"Hmmm, probably hang out with you and however many of the family is home." Izzy shrugged.

"Which means you'll be all by your lonesome self besides Shan, wait, Matt might be home, I'm not sure." John informed.

"Thanks, John." She smiled as we pulled into Isabella's driveway. As we got inside, set our stuff down, and sat down, Isabella smiled nervously. "Guys, I'm going to go out for a while, I'll be back soon, okay?"

I started to get up. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, it's fine." She kissed my cheek. "I'll be fine." She said as she grabbed her coat and left.

_*Izzy POV*_

I got into the car and drove through the streets. Soon later, I turned onto a dirt road. It was the new way to get to his house and I was getting nervous. I shouldn't have, after all, I've known the man for years. Yet, I had just left and didn't contact anybody. Hopefully, he'd accept me back, but with him you could never know.

Sighing, I calmed myself as I got out of my car and made my way up to his porch. Carefully, I knocked on the door and waited until a brunette woman answered it. She instantly smiled and hugged me. "It's great to see you, girl." Beth smiled.

"You too, Beth." I nodded and she backed up.

"Beth, babe, who are you talking to?" I heard his voice as he came up behind Beth.

"It's Izzy, honey." She gestured to me before going back inside.

The man turned to me and I could swear he looked so much different. He had redone his hair and had a more relaxed look about him. His surprised gaze turned into a glare and my smile fell. "Izzy, what the hell are you doing here? Did Seattle get too boring too so you decided to live your life here again?"

I was taken aback , this wasn't at all like him. He had never acted this way to me before. "Jeff? Are you okay?"

" No, I'm not okay. You left, Izzy. You can't come back and expect things to be the way they were before."

"I never assumed that, Jeff. I know thing's have changed. I didn't expect you to change though." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"People change too. I've changed, Shannon's changed, everybody's changed. Yes, even you."

I rolled my eyes. "I know I've changed." Sighing, I shook my head. "I'm done talking to you, Jeff. I tried to be a friend and come over to say hi and all I get are jabs from somebody I thought I could trust." I stated as I started down the steps again.

"So you're leaving when things get too hard, you don't want to deal with them. Where are you going this time? Cancun? Maybe Jamaica? Somewhere where all your troubles wash away on tropical islands full of mystery and adventure? Are you going to give us a warning, or are you going to make us wait ten years to hear from you again?"

That was the final straw, I walked back up the steps and glared. "You know I left because I needed to take a break from everything that was going on."

He scoffed. "You were running from your problems."

"Like you don't? Some people just aren't strong enough too go through crap every single day, Jeff. I needed to clear my head and think, it's no different that the many times you disappear for weeks and sit in your studio doing what you do. You are dealing with it in your own way and I dealt with mine in my own way."

He stood silent and his jaw clenched. I knew he knew I was right. We stood there glaring for a few moments before Beth came back. "Izzy, would you like to come in?"

"She was just leaving." Jeff replied for me and I nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah, I gotta go, I'll see you soon, I promise." I gave her a quick hug before walking down the steps. I could hear her yell at him and he argued his case back. Shaking my head at his antics, I got back into my car before the tears started to fall.


	26. Tattoo

**Okay, I have a kind of big piece of news for all my readers out there. There are only one or two more chappies after this one. Just thought you'd like to know...lol. Otherwise, I only own my OCs, nothing else. I'd like to thank Angel for beta-reading this. Please read, review, and enjoy!**_

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_*Isabella POV*_

Shannon chuckled as he looked at me. "What?" I asked,

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about what kind of tattoo you'd look good with."

I raised my eyebrow. "I'm getting my tattoo?" I questioned as he got up and walked towards me. Putting a hand on my shoulder, he nodded and kissed the top of my head. "Really? When?"

"Whenever you want it."

"And if I said I wanted it today?"

He chuckled again and grabbed my hand before pulling me out of my seat and leading me towards the door. "Then you'll get it today." He leaned down to kiss me and I smiled.

"I was only kidding…"

"Too late for that now, darling. You asked, so you shall receive." Shannon replied as he opened the door for me and smacked my butt as I walked through. Yelping, I turned around and tried to glare at him, but it fell flat. "Hey, you can't blame me, it's a wonderful butt." He put his hands up in defense.

"You're a dork."

"You love me anyways." Shannon flashed me a cheesy smile.

"Yes, yes I do." I nodded and Shannon opened the car door for me. Covering my butt with my hands I got in and he smirked before getting in the driver's seat.

He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Aw, I love you too." Shannon drove to the shop and led me inside through the back. "Nobody's here yet, you're my first costumer of the day." He said as he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, leading me into the break room. A full sized mirror stood in the corner and he walked me over it. "Now, where do you want it?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, Shan." I stated and he chuckled.

"Well, it could be a small one, a medium one, or a large one. I don't think you should get one that's too big, nor too small. Hmmm." He murmured to himself as he put his hands on my hips. "May, I?" He gestured to my shirt and I nodded and pulled it over my head. My hair was pulled into a ponytail and Shannon put his hands on my bare shoulders. I shuddered at the touch and he retracted his hands.

"It's alright, Shannon." I replied. "I'll tell you if you've gone too far, okay?"

He nodded and kissed my cheek. "I think, maybe a medium sized on your shoulder."

"You're right." I agreed.

"What kind of animals do you like, or what animals do you think you embody? Do you want flowers, skulls, wings, I can give you whatever you want."

"I think I'm a fox." I stated proudly. "I'm mischievous, beautiful, and graceful."

Shannon chuckled. "I totally agree. Kind of like the movie Fox and the Hound, right? Sworn to be enemies; destined to be together?'

My eyebrow hiked up and I turned around in his arms. "Yeah, you could say that." I smiled as he led me back into the main area and flicked on the lights. I opened my mouth to question him, but he read my mind and answered already.

"So I can see what I'm doing, you don't want a huge squiggly line runnin' down your back, now do you?"

I shook my head and straddled one of the chairs as he sat down on a rolling stool and fetched his supplies. "What happens if your employees come in?"

"They'll be in for a surprise." He smiled. "Any specific colors?"

"No, just black, and I want a flower, a lotus." I explained and he nodded.

"A fox and a lotus…" He murmured to himself and scooted up behind me and hooked everything up. "You're going to have to be very still." Shannon informed me. "And I hope you aren't afraid of needles."

I snorted. "Of course I'm not afraid of needles."

Shannon just smiled and got to work…

About half an hour later, I sighed and he stopped. "Yeah?"

"Nothing, your hands are just really soft." I replied and I could tell he was blushing. "How's it coming."

"Looks great and no you can't see it."

"How do you keep reading my mind?" I questioned and I knew he shrugged.

"I have no idea, babe. It's like I'm psychic or something." He replied as he continued to work.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow and he chuckled.

"Foxy…" He muttered and I smiled.

"Do you always talk to yourself when you work?" I asked.

"Only when I'm enthralled by the person I'm working on. You're the only one so far, otherwise everybody else would've told me by now."

"Enthralled? Big word there, Shanny."

"What can I say, I learned from you." He smirked as he finished it up and bandaged it before lecturing me about how to take care of it. "You can take that bandage off in a week."

"I don't get to see it?"

"Nope, and just so you don't cheat, I'm staying with you for a while."

"Great." I sat up and smiled at him before kissing him. He kissed me back and lifted me up to wrap my legs around him. Without breaking the kiss, he set me on the glass counter and kept one hand on my neck, the other tangled in my hair. My hands ran over his neck and arms and through his hair. Shannon pulled me in closer so our bodies were right in front of each other's. He ran his hands up my sides before resting them on my hips.

Draping my arms over his shoulders, I smiled against his lips. "People can probably see us." I whispered.

"I…don't care." Shannon mumbled, panting for breath.

"She's right." The new voice caught both of our attentions and I blushed and Shannon turned so the person couldn't see the fact that I was only I was shirtless, showing off the white, lacy bra I had on and my light denim jeans.

"Jeff, what are you doing here?" Shannon asked.

"I'm here because you told me to meet you here a few days ago, so here I am. I wasn't expecting this." He trailed off and Shannon blushed.

"Alright then, what do you need?" Shannon tried to control his breathing as he stood in front of me, trying to block me from view as Shannon's employees walked in. Sighing with embarrassment, I rested my forehead against his shoulder and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You were going to finish up my tat, remember?" Jeff asked, slightly annoyed as he sent me a glare, hardly noticeable amidst his emerald eyes. "You seem busy." He emphasized 'busy', also gone unnoticed, except by me. I slid off of the counter and ran my hand through my hair.

"I'm gonna go…" I trailed off as more people entered the shop. I was suddenly the spectacle of the day, standing there, shirtless and embarrassed. Matt, Shane, and a few other friends had entered and I covered my face with my hands. Leaning against Shannon again, I mumbled. "I'm not here…"

"Izzy, why are you shirtless?" Shane asked.

"She and Shannon were getting it on in the shop." Jeff laughed and shrugged when both Shannon and I glared at him.

"I was getting a tattoo…" I muttered and turned to walk away, into the back room where I grabbed my shirt and pulled it over my head. Walking back into the room, I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed. "I should get going, hey, Matt, Shane, do you guys wanna hang out? Catch up on stuff?" I asked and they both nodded before walking with me outside.

"How have you two been and you're not going to…yell at me, are you?" I asked as I bit my lip.

"Of course we aren't going to yell at you…" Shane laughed as if it were a obvious answer. "I've been okay, Jamie and I are done for good."

"Thank God, I didn't like her much anyways. I was kind to her, for your sake. Half the time, I wanted to jump her…" I trailed off.

"I'm doing good too, everything's been hectic since you left."

"What's up with Jeff?"

Matt looked surprised that I had asked about him. "He's just…complicated. Jeff missed you, but he went about it in his way. Lock himself up and don't talk about it. We talked about it, he just thought you were gone forever. You see here, with Jeff, when you take something away that he cares about, he'll think it's gone forever and in some cases, that's true. But in other cases, it isn't. Like your return, for instance."

I nodded and ran a hand through my hair.

"Did he say anything to you?" Shane asked and I shook my head.

"No, he just seemed a little off, that's all." I replied.

"You know better than to lie to us, Izzy. He said something, it bugged you and now you're trying to cover it up." Shane pointed out. "So, spill."

I sighed. "The other day, he said some things about how I left because I couldn't handle my problems. He takes off all the time to wherever he goes and he doesn't talk to us for weeks. Why is that so much better than what I did?"

"Well, believe it or not, Jeff looks up to you, figuratively." Matt smirked at his 'short' joke. "When you left, it was like taking the key brick out of a wall. The wall fell down and it's hard to put it back together. We built ourselves back up, waiting for the key brick and Jeff's brick just was too stubborn to put itself back into the wall, if that makes sense."

"Thanks guys. So anything special going on?"

"Well, I'm a very minor character, and so is Matt." Shane sighed.

"That sucks, when will they realize that you guys are more talented and more good-looking than half the main eventers?"

"Probably never." Matt muttered. "So you're on ECW now, congratulations. You'll be traveling with Smackdown even more. Perfect, long nights and having you as the designated driver. Life is once again in balance." He threw an arm over my shoulder.

"You got a tattoo, and you're dating Shannon. You know, I don't think he's ever been happier than when you're with him." Shane put his arm over my shoulder as well and I smiled. "He makes you happy too, that's good. If you ever have any problems, tell us and we'll set him straight."

"It's Shannon, I won't be worrying about that." I shrugged as much as I could. "I missed you guys so much though. Seattle sucks, I didn't know anybody, I could never hear any of your voices. Trust me, going from Southern accents to upper West-Coast accents was a big push. I'm too used to it down here, I love it here. I was stupid for leaving."

"It was a learning experience, we're just glad to have you back." Shane smiled as we reproached the shop. As we entered, we saw Shannon working on Jeff, but otherwise, the shop was empty. Sitting on the couch, I grabbed a magazine and began to flip through it.

"So, I get to debut next week?"

"Yep." Shannon answered. "Against Rosa Mendes."

Shane laughed. "I can't wait to see that. She'll have Ryder with her and he'll try to get involved, you could probably take them on in a handicap match." Shane shook his head as he chuckled.

"I doubt it." Jeff shrugged. "Sure, you're talented, but even the best have ring rust after not wrestling for a while." I knew it was directed towards me, and I'm pretty sure Matt and Shane picked up on it too, but Shannon went on like he didn't hear Jeff. Maybe he didn't, or maybe he just brushed it off.

"Shan, I'm gonna go back to the house and walk the dogs."

"I can come with…"

"It's okay, Shan. I'll be fine." I kissed his cheek before walking out the door and taking Shannon's car back to the house. As I entered, I sighed and flopped down on the couch, trying to figure out why Jeff was acting the way he was and hoping it would end soon. But, knowing Jeff, it wouldn't.


	27. Decorating

**Here's Thick Line!lol. Um, I only own Izzy and a few other OCs, nothing else. Thank you Angel for beta-reading this, you rock hun! If you haven't voted on my poll, please go ahead and do so. If you have voted,thank you:) Just so you all know, this is the second to last chappy...yeah this fic is coming to a close...But fear not, cuz there might be a sequel!lol. Thank you all who have reviewed so far and please read, review and enjoy:)**_

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_*Isabella POV*_

I was hanging Christmas decorations when Shannon came in, looking up at me in amusement. "You okay up there, babe?"

"I'm fine, Shan." I called down as I fixed a piece of garland.

"I could…"

"I got it, don't worry." I claimed as I reached farther out on the ladder, tugging the garland into place. Before I knew it, I had lost my balance and ended up falling. Shannon caught me before I hit the ground and he smirked.

"You were saying?"

Smacking his chest, I rolled my eyes. "Shut up." He set me down, just as the guys came in. It seemed like they were always popping up at inconvenient times. "Hey guys." I smiled cheerfully at Shane, Matt…and Jeff. Jeff and I had been on pretty rocky ground the past few weeks, he told me he thought I was wrong for leaving and I respect his opinion, it was just the way he said it. The other two hugged Shannon and I while Jeff approached me slowly. Shannon had dragged Matt and Shane off to see the other decorations, leaving me with Jeff.

"Isabella."

"Yeah?" I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest as I leaned against the wall.

"I-I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but I need to talk to you. Listen, I care about you as a friend and you're like a sister to me. I know I can be stubborn, hot-headed and I don't like to admit I'm wrong, but I was. I'm sorry Isabella. You had your reasons for leaving and though I may not agree with them, I'm just glad you're back."

"Thanks Jeff." I nodded, caught in between forgiving him and staying mad.

"You're welcome." He tried to make a joke, but once he saw that I wasn't laughing, he stopped. "I told you to look closer to home."

"Huh?"

"You know when Cena broke up with you, and when you were transferred to Smackdown? Well on night, you passed me and Shannon in the hall, we stopped to chat and I told you that you should look closer to home for the one that loved you. And, you did; Shannon loves you and you love him. I really don't think I've ever seen him happier."

I smiled. "I forgive you Jeff. I'm sorry too." He chuckled and hugged me before Shannon called him into the other room. I went to let the dogs out.

_*Shannon POV*_

As Jeff came into the kitchen, he joined the huddle Matt, Shane, and I formed. "What's going on?" He asked and I showed him what I had shown to Matt and Shane. His eyes widened as he gazed at it. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, it's Isabella's Christmas present, but you guys can't say anything to her." I warned.

"Promise." All three of them said in unison.

"I'm serious, guys. If I find out that one of you told her, I swear to God…"

"Relax, our lips are sealed." Shane smiled. "It's very pretty." He analyzed the gift.

"Very pretty, and expensive too." Matt murmured.

"Which is why I really hope she likes it."

"She will, don't worry." Jeff smiled and I nodded as I pocketed the gift, just as Izzy came back in. throwing her arms over Shane and Matt's shoulders she grinned.

"Hey boys, what's going on?"

"Nothing." We all responded, probably a bit too quickly and she raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Okay then." She cleared her throat. "The decorations are only half done, so if you boys would make yourselves useful around here, that would be appreciated." Isabella smirked as she went to go kiss my cheek. When we saw she wasn't kidding, we all quickly set to hanging up decorations and adding 'holiday cheer' to the place.

After the guys had left, I sat with Isabella on the couch and she was snuggled up in my arms. "Shannon, what are you getting me for Christmas?"

"I can't tell, that would ruin the surprise." I chuckled. "What are you getting me for Christmas?"

"I can't tell." She stated, knowing it would drive me up the wall trying to figure it our, just like I was driving her crazy.

"But I gave you a tattoo…" I trailed off.

"But you wouldn't tell me what you got me." Isabella taunted back.

"Touché." I shrugged and she smiled as she kissed me. I smiled and kissed her back, knowing we were going to be together for a while, and hopefully she'll accept my gift for her. If not, I had no idea what I'd do. "Isabella, we've been together for three months now."

"Yeah…and?"

"It's just that…I love you."

"I love you too, Shanny."

"No matter what?" I asked her.

She nodded. "No matter what." Isabella confirmed.

"It's a bit early in our relationship to be saying that…" I murmured.

"Shannon, think about it, we've practically been dating ever since we started to become friend while I was with John. We spent most of our time together, and trusted each other, and just got really close. We acknowledged our love for one another."

"You have a point." I chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I'm just so glad that you're my girlfriend, you know? Out of all the guys that are better for you, it ended up being me…"

"Relax, Shanny. You got me and no one else will ever get me, okay? I love you and no one else, babe. No one will get in the way." Isabella kissed my cheek and I smiled. On the outside, I was joyful and smiling. On the inside, I was praying that _I_ didn't get in the way…

_The Next Day_

Isabella had gone out shopping, taking Beth, and Shay with her. John, Jeff, Matt, and Shane had all come over to finish decorating the house. "So, you're really going to do it?"

"Yeah, I am." I nodded. "I'm a little nervous, but if I wait and don't do it, I'll chicken out for sure."

"It's a big choice, Shan." Jeff stated. "We saw how it turned out with Crystal and Julie, we don't want that happening again."

"It's Isabella, she wouldn't do that." I shook my head. "I love her and I feel like we're ready."

"And if she's not?"

"I'll cross that bridge when it comes." I shrugged. "There's nothing to it, as long as I don't back out of it already."

"Shan, you spent the money, you love the girl, I'd say go for it." Matt called out from the kitchen.

"But what if…"

"Shannon, you can spend years saying 'what if' and you won't know until you actually get out there and do it. Do it in public, or when you're alone, it doesn't matter, although I'd like to see it."

"It's her Christmas gift, she'll get it at the Christmas party." I replied and he nodded.

"Can't wait." Matt smirked.

"Neither can I. You two make each other so happy, but if you hurt her Shannon, beware." John snickered as he hung mistletoe in every room for 'fun and adventure.'

"We trust you Shan, we also know that it'll turn out fine, don't worry about it."

I smiled nervously, hoping they were right.


	28. The End

**Ladies and gentlemen of , I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is indeed the last chapter of A Thick Line Between Love and Hate. It has been amazing writing this and getting all sorts of feedback from you all. I'd like to thank my beta-reader and e-sis Angel for being so supportive and helpful for this fic. She's truly awesome! I'd also like to thank my reviewers, you guys are amazing as well and without you, I'd still be on square one,lol:) **

**Also, since this is the last chappy, I would like to know if you guys would like a sequel. Read the chappy first and tell me if you'd like a sequel in the review:) Thank you all again! Please read, review and enjoy this chapter:)**

_*Isabella POV* _

The day had finally come, the day of our annual Christmas Bash. We had moved it up a couple days so Shay could still be there. It was being held at my house and so far, it was getting crowded. Despite the atmosphere being cheery, something was tugging at me.

Recently, Shannon had been secretive, very secretive. He seemed really jumpy and like he was hiding something. Walking through my house, I grabbed Cori by her good arm and Shay, before dragging them to a secluded part of my house.

"Do you guys know what's going on with Shannon?"

"Huh?" Cori asked.

"He seems really…nervous. You know?"

"I-I haven't noticed anything." Shay shrugged.

"Neither have I." Cori shrugged. "Sorry, honey. I don't think whatever he's hiding is too serious though."

"Y-yeah, I'm sure everything's fine." Shay smiled sweetly as she and Cori walked off again. Sighing I ran my hand through my hair and walked into the living room, almost running into Matt.

"Hey, Matt."

"Hey Izzy." He smiled.

"So, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Do you know what's up with Shannon? He seems to be hiding something."

"Nope, no idea. I gotta go, I think Shane's calling me…" He trailed off as he left the room. Rolling my eyes, I plopped down on the couch. Seconds later, Shannon came in and sat down next to me.

"Hey, babe. What's up?" He kissed my cheek and I smiled as I took his hand.

"Nothing much, I'm a little worried about my furniture, but it should all work out."

Shannon chuckled. "Yeah, they do get a little riled." He shrugged. "If your house gets destroyed, then you can come live with me." He put an arm over my shoulders and I started to feel a little guilty, assuming he was hiding something. Currently, he wore baggy jeans and a white, graphic shirt.

"Yeah, the house is probably a mess though, considering you spend all your time over here…" I smirked as he pouted and kissed me.

"Cause it's better over here. The entire house radiates you."

"Thanks, Shanny." I intertwined my fingers with his and rested my head against his shoulder as we watched people scurrying around, acting like idiots.

"No problem." He smiled, casting a sidewards glance at the pile of gifts under the tree.

"Is my gift in there?" I asked.

He tensed up and tried his best not to look anxious. "Um no…it's not. It's in the house though, don't worry about it. I'll get it when the time is right." Shannon smiled again.

"Aw, you won't tell me what it is, I have no idea where it is, give me a hint, Shanny." I whined.

"I can't, it'll ruin the surprise."

_*Shannon POV*_

As I checked my watch, I almost cursed. It was getting late and I still hadn't given her the present. Isabella raised her eyebrow at me. "What?" She asked.

"I thought it was a different time." I fibbed and she brushed it off and snuggled closer to me. Then, Matt and Shane came bursting into the room, wrestling about. Matt had tripped Shane and he fell, directly into Isabella's coffee table. The wood splintered and cracked as Shane's body went through it and suddenly the entire house got quiet. Isabella growled as she got up, grabbed Shane by the collar and Matt by the sleeve and dragged both men outside, probably to yell at them and push them into the snow bank.

We all got up and followed and as soon as we found them, that is exactly what Isabella had done. She shoved both men into the snow bank, only to have them grab her and pull her in too. Mere minutes passed before everybody was in the snow bank, except me. I backed away slowly as my snow-covered friends came closer to me. My hand dove into my pocket, feeling the box inside. I sure as hell didn't want to lose it and I was afraid that getting into a game with them would make me lose just that. "Guys, please _don't."_ I pleaded, glaring at the guys who knew. They nodded and made the suggestion that we go back inside and unwrap the gifts.

Everybody was up for that and we all got back inside and seated around the Christmas tree. "So, just grab the gift with your name on it." As soon as the words passed Matt's lips, everybody tackled the base of the tree, snatching their gift as if somebody would steal it.

When everybody sat down, Izzy was the only one not holding a gift and guilt started to set in, hoping she'd like what I got her, even though I wouldn't show her until later. Jeff sent me a look saying 'soon' and I nodded in response. Everybody began to unwrap their gifts, thanking the person that got them it, laughing at the 'gag gifts' and having a fun time; while Izzy sat there, sighing.

Even I had a gift and I unwrapped the box, revealing a locket, with the locket being a padlock-pendant hanging from a silver chain. Now I really felt guilty, knowing who had given me this. The picture inside the locket gave it away. It was a picture of Izzy and I, smiling as we hugged.

"Thanks, Izzy. I love it." I smiled and she kissed my cheek.

"Your welcome." She sighed. "Can I have my gift now?"

Chuckling at her impatience, I nodded took her hand and led her into the center of the living room. Clearing my throat, I got everyone's attention while Izzy looked at me in confusion.

"Shannon.." She began.

"Hi, everybody. I'd like to thank you all for allowing the party to be held at Izzy's house, instead of Matt's. Um, we appreciate you all for coming, it means a lot to be here, surrounded by people who love and support us. As you see, one of us does not have a gift, and that person is Isabella. The reason why is because I have it, and I needed to give it to her in front of everybody, our family." I turned to her and ran a hand through my hair.

Taking her hand, I gave her a reassuring smile. "I love you, Izzy, a lot. More than I can describe in words . You complete me, you soothe me and deal with whatever crap comes to the table. There isn't a single person in the world that I could say this to. You are everything I could ever want or need and I'd die without you. I wouldn't even think about doing something that would harm you, or us, but I'm taking a chance tonight. I know you may not like your gift and after I give it to you, I would understand if you never wanted to speak to me again." I cleared my throat again. "But it needs to be done, I have to know and I'm sorry I kept it a secret." I took her hand and took the box out of my pocket, but still kept it out of sight.

"My heart beats for you, I live and breath for you and I just love you. To me, you're my reason to live, to carry on when things get tough. You're smart, beautiful, caring, sexy, and just…perfect for me. You're my other half and I just love so damn much. I love you when you're mad, relaxed, sad, I'd stick with you through whatever life threw at us" I paused and looked at her. She had tears welling in her eyes and our friends looked a little confused, the room was dead silent.

"I know we've only been dating for a few months, but we've both loved each other for a long time before that. We complete each other, Izzy. I love you and you love me. There's no reason why we shouldn't be together. " I cleared my throat and revealed the box as I took her hand and got down on one knee. Opening the box, I revealed to her the ring inside. It was a pretty decent sized ring, a silver band with a sparkling diamond with another, slightly smaller diamond on each side.

Isabella gasped, as did everyone in the room. "Isabella Rose Smith, there's no logical reason , that I can think of, why we shouldn't be together. So, will you marry me?"

"…"


	29. Sequel

**_Hi everybody, just letting you know that the sequel to A Thick Line Between Love and Hate is up. It's called All That I Need. If you wanna know what happens to Shannon and Isabella, you should check it out. I loved writing A Thick Line Between Love and Hate and I'm glad you guys came alone for the ride. Thank you all for reviewing, they mean so much to me and bring inspiration to continue the story. So thank you all and please go check out the sequel to A Thick Line Between Love and Hate._**

**_*KiwiStar*_**


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